The Declining Value of the College Degree

This post is based on this article

It is important that we are having this discussion. But, as the article says, it’s not black and white. In some areas, demand in the workplace is high enough where a full 4 year degree is not necessarily the best option. Somewhere in this discussion has to be the nature of the 4 years degree itself. We spent our time in K-12 experiencing liberal arts where we explore all subjects, then in college we still spend the first 2 years doing that again. I would be interested in seeing options for the a degree 1) full degree as we have always done and 2) just the in-subject core classes required for graduation, 3) core-classes + x optional classes. Employers and society can decide which is most effective. It may be that some degrees do require more general education coursework, while others such as engineering might just focus on core subjects. Perhaps the core subjects are offered for the main degree, then if needed, students can “add on” course work after gradation to enhance their degree, kind of like a la carte. Either way, the traditional model of college will soon be dead. Just like every industry, it must adapt to stay relevant.