higher-education

Data show that a college education gives graduates enhanced job opportunities and income over the course of a lifetime — especially for those working in technical fields. But it is difficult to say whether a talented high school senior would necessarily earn more by graduating from an elite college than by graduating from a less selective one.

U.S. inner-city schools often receive the lion’s share of attention from education reformers and charter school founders, but rural schools educate up to a third of America’s public school students and face challenges just as daunting as their urban counterparts.

College is a time when many young adults develop civic values while engaging with their peers. So how much do the civic values of the typical student develop between freshman and senior years? The answer to this question and the explanations behind it have deep implications for college policies intended to promote civic engagement.

The number of college courses available online has steadily grown since the advent of “Web 2.0” interactive technologies in the early 2000s, and in the wake of the economic crisis of 2008. Nearly half (46%) of all college students graduating in 2001 or later have taken at least one online course, and the number of online courses is expected to continue to grow over the next decade.

Education has long been considered “the great equalizer ” in the United States, a way for an ambitious and talented individual to secure a good job (as characterized by good wages, benefits, and job security) regardless of the socioeconomic status of his or her parents. But the extent to which belief this holds true has been tested — and contested — by social science research for decades.

College tuition costs, which have been steadily rising over the past few decades, may put higher education out of reach for many aspiring students. To provide more financial resources for these students, Congress has raised the ceiling on the amount qualified undergraduates could borrow from the federal Stafford Loan program.