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What do you want to do when you grow up?
Working-class Americans voted to send Donald Trump back into the White House: He ran strongly with people without college degrees ,...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 7, 20242 min read


71% of students say they'd report a professor for 'wrongthink'
College students are unwilling to tolerate professors with "offensive" opinions.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 29, 20242 min read


Americans still want their kids to go to college, but ...
Most people worry about college costs, but want their children to go to a two-year or four-year college.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 28, 20242 min read


A debt-free bachelor's degree is not impossible (but it's not easy)
Confidence in the value of higher education is down , and fear of college debt is up, writes Rob Jenkins, an associate professor of...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 1, 20243 min read


Half of students don't want to go to college, but don't know what else they could do
About half of teenagers say they don't want to go to college right out of high school, according to a new Gallup/Walton survey , reports ...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 31, 20241 min read


Building Swiss-style career paths
Preparing young people for the workforce -- even if they don't earn a college degree -- is a priority for Democrats (83 percent) and...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 22, 20242 min read


Is it really all that 'weird' for politicians to be pro-family?
Politicians used to kiss babies. Now, they're supposed to diss them, if you believe the anti-Vance campaign.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 31, 20243 min read


Blue-collar voters want schools to listen to parents, offer career paths
Democrats need a "radically pragmatic" education and jobs agenda to earn working-class votes, writes Bruno V. Manno on The Liberal...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 30, 20241 min read


Vo-tech is STEM prep: Needy kids can't get in to learn a trade
High-needs students have a hard time getting into vocational-tech schools in Massachusetts, reports the Boston Globe. Most of the highly...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 19, 20242 min read


From Walmart Academy to a bachelor's degree in business
With credit for workplace training and Walmart’s tuition-assistance program, Bonnie Boop earned an online business degree, reports NPR's...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 12, 20241 min read


The rise of MEI: merit, excellence and intelligence
Will MEI -- merit, excellence and intelligence -- replace DEI?

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 18, 20242 min read


Do you want a scone with your cappucino? '24 grads are struggling to find jobs
College graduates are finding it hard to get their first professional job.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 3, 20241 min read


Off with the keffiyeh, on with the job search: Employers 'resist' hiring activists
Ivy League graduates who've been resisting "late-stage capitalism" want jobs, but employers are resisting hiring them.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 3, 20242 min read


'Performance of Self' as a college major? No, it's not a parody
Parody or reality? Yes, these are real New York University graduates who've designed their own majors. "The Performance of Self" is my...

Joanne Jacobs
May 30, 20241 min read


Is college worth it if you have to borrow? Only 22% say 'yes'
Most Americans don't think borrowing to go to college is worth it.

Joanne Jacobs
May 30, 20242 min read


Why top college students don't read or go to class: Resume polishing is #1
At Harvard and other elite universities, students spend more time and energy on resume-polishing extracurriculars than classwork.

Joanne Jacobs
May 29, 20242 min read


In college, but not in class: Kids with 'snowplow parents' give up easily
Absenteeism -- physical and mental -- is high for college students too.

Joanne Jacobs
May 19, 20241 min read


College is a good bet -- with financial aid -- for lower-income CA students
Earning a degree at a California community college or state university is a good bet for students from low- and moderate-income families,...

Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20241 min read


Does college pay? Just barely for ed majors, not at all for half of master's degrees
Alex majors in engineering at a public university, while Chris earns a nursing degree. Their return on investment (ROI) -- the increase...

Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20242 min read


Go State U! Why pay a premium for a 'polarizing' degree?
Borrow a bundle to go to a prestigious private college? Or go to your state's flagship state university for slightly less status and a...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 29, 20243 min read
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