08 August 2010

Oh Canada

The College Board recently released new figures for college completion rates. The percentage of 25-34 year olds  holding college degrees especially attracted attention (Bob Herbert in the NYT, for instance):


The US, having long held spot number one in the world, has now fallen to number 12. But just as interesting is the fact that Canada, where higher education has long been subsidized, is leading with 55.8%. Annual fees and tuition for an arts and sciences degree are about CAD 5,000 at the University of Toronto (half as much as at UC), and about CAD 3,600 at McGill (about 1/3 of UC fees). If there ever was any doubt that tuition is inversely correlated with completion rates, this should give everybody pause.

Among the College Board recommendations:
Keep college affordable by controlling college costs, using available aid and  resources wisely, and insisting that state governments meet their obligations  for funding higher education.

2 comments:

  1. I am surprised by the showing of the Russian Federation.

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  2. Yes, remarkable. But although the country might be in a shambles, they do have a tradition inherited from the days of the cold war of pushing free education (seen as an asset in the race with the US). We also thought that mass education would give us a strategic advantage (and it did), we just have forgotten about it.

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