Do College Graduates Push High School Graduates out of the Economy?

by Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute This week, Georgetown’s University’s Center on Education and the Workforce released “Weathering the Economic Storm.” The report makes an intuitive conclusion that the recent “recession hit those with less schooling disproportionately hard.” Data clearly support this conclusion. But the reason isn’t because they are less educated, per se. The reason is that those with higher levels of … Continue reading Do College Graduates Push High School Graduates out of the Economy?

College for All? Please….

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute In the past few weeks I have read opeds and articles from the Washington Post’s Robert Samuelson (May 27: It’s Time to Drop the College-For-All Crusade), former US Secretary of Labor Robert Reich (May 18: The Commencement Address That Won’t Be Given), Mui and Khim in the Post (May 28: College Dropouts Have Debt But … Continue reading College for All? Please….

The ROI on Higher Education

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International There is much press and study about the returns to a higher education. I, myself, have developed and published charts and essays on the power of a postsecondary credential. However, as our readers now, I am more critical, if not skeptical, than most about the true value of a postsecondary degree in this competitive … Continue reading The ROI on Higher Education

Why are our College Graduates Unemployed?

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International Tony Carnevale, Ban Cheah, and Jeff Strohl’s new publication: HardTimes: College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings, states that unemployment for new BA graduates is “an unacceptable 8.9 percent,” acknowledging that it is an even worse 22.9 percent for recent high school graduates. Their publication showcases the reality that different BA degrees have different unemployment rates, … Continue reading Why are our College Graduates Unemployed?

More on the College Bubble: Job Outcomes for College Graduates

By Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute/EPI International In a follow-up to last week’s commentary, an article in this week’s Chronicle of Higher Education reported findings from a Rutgers University study, which shows that recent college graduates are having trouble finding new jobs. The study of 517 students who graduated between 2006 and 2010 found that only 53 percent currently hold a … Continue reading More on the College Bubble: Job Outcomes for College Graduates