...attend college and earning less upon graduation—trends that have led many observers to question whether a college education remains a good investment. However, an analysis of the economic returns to college since the 1970s demonstrates that the bene ts of both a bachelor’s degree and an associate’s degree still tend to outweigh the costs, with both degrees earning a return of about 15 percent over the past decade. e return has remained high in spite of rising tuition and falling earnings because the wages of those without a college degree have also been falling, keeping the college wage premium near an all-time high while reducing the opportunity cost of going to school. The sluggish labor market recovery from the Great Recession has refueled the debate about the value of a college degree. Although the unemployment rate of college-educated workers has remained well below average, there is mounting evidence that recent college graduates are struggling to nd good jobs.1 At the same time, college tuition has risen sharply, reaching record highs, and col- lege graduates are increasingly nding themselves saddled with debt from student loans used to nance their education. By the end of 2013, aggregate student loan debt in the United States exceeded $1 trillion, and more than 11 percent of student loan balances were either severely delinquent or already in default.2 With the costs of college rising and the bene ts in doubt, many are wondering whether earning a college degree still...
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...Hossler and Bontrager (2015) state that the sociological approach focuses on the early stages of one's college journey and "emphasizes the influences of social and cultural capital" (p. 51). Thus, this theory highlights one's social context, such as their social class, community, and high school, as well as parental involvement and expectations. Throughout my first essay, my environment was a strong predisposition that contributed toward my expectation of attending college. Due to my parents' middle-class status, their cultural and social capital garnered them certain knowledge sets. My mother knew how to research for the best school districts and suburbs using the internet, as well as employ her social network of coworkers, college friends,...
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...encompasses a discussion concerning college and its perceived merits or demerits. To this end, the thesis will seek to explore the issue of whether its benefits outweigh its inherent costs. A narrative relating to college degrees postulates the necessity of the latter to have a good career. The narrative has been formulated and affirmed by the media, the business community, and the government. In a recent speech, President Obama blatantly stated that now more than ever, the college degree was a ticked into the middle class, a good job, and a good income. He goes on to say that the degree gifts the graduate an element of security that keeps them employable. The latter is a result of the perception that the degree creates. Potential employers view individuals with degrees as malleable and capable of acquiring new skill sets. On the business front, there is an upsurge of demand for skilled workers in recent years because of dramatic technological advance. Ergo there is an augmented demand for graduates who can carry out the tasks that a high-tech economy needs. The media has been used to highlight this upsurge and often unwittingly, create pressure on parents to send their children to college. While parents deal with all the information heralding college education as a crucial investment to make, they also appraise the information against the backdrop of college costs. In recent decades, the cost of higher learning has exploded. Numerous colleges charge an almost exorbitant fee...
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...Syracuse University INDUSTRY ANALYSIS OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE UNITED STATES Matthew Gerlitzki Strategic Management - MBC 645 Professor Wimer May 11, 2016 Industry Definition This is an industry analysis paper of the Colleges and Universities in the United States and it is important to begin with a definition. A goal of an industry definition and boundaries scope must not be too narrow or broadly defined because this will alter the scope of the analysis and result in a skewed conclusion. I will begin by differentiating between non-profits and for-profits businesses due to the different strategies involved within management in attempt to maintain the scope of this analysis. At first thought this seems irrelevant, however, the internal and external environments of these two types of business structures are different and management must prioritize accordingly. In academia, the for-profit institution must operate similar to a regular business with a focus on profitability that will satisfy stakeholders rather than focus primarily on the quality of education. The non-profit institution will focus primarily on education and student success, which will contribute to the brand awareness and prestige that will be discussed later. An analysis of the Colleges and Universities in the United States will be limited to non-profit private and public institutions that offer Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees. Bachelor’s (undergraduate) degrees are the...
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...Situation Analysis Industry Analysis An industry analysis is a component of the business plan that provides statistics about the market potential of your business, product and services. The analysis contains specific information about the current state of the industry and target market. According to the book, “Essentials of Marketing 6th ed.”, an industry analysis should also include a report of the trends, competitors, customer profile and technology within the industry. Industry Overview The US colleges and universities industry includes about 4,300 degree-granting institutions with combined annual revenue of approximately $400 billion. Sixty percent of industry revenue is generated by state-operated public schools, 40 percent by private schools. Some 1,700 schools are public, another 1,600 are private nonprofit institutions, and about 1,000 are for-profit private schools. Close to 75 percent of students are enrolled in public schools. Mainly because of big state universities, the industry is concentrated: 50 percent of all students are enrolled in the 400 largest schools. Among the fastest-growing UTPA is ranked in the top ten. Industry Forecast US personal consumption expenditures for higher education, a major driver for university and college revenues, are forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 2 percent between 2009 and 2014. Data Published: October 2009. Industry Indicators The bank prime loan rate, an indicator of colleges' and universities' cost to...
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...saw strong growth during the worldwide recession. * Company has strategically reduced its operating cost in segments that have seen either small improvement or losses in enrollment. * Company has strategically transitioned to support its Medical and Healthcare segments which has seen strong growth potential. * Risk factors include enrollment and public relations as the company has endured numerous class action lawsuits resulting from student dissatisfaction with curriculum content. Summary of Analysis: * Market Capitalization: $2.2 Billion on March 20, 2015 * Cash: 369.98M * Free Cash: $187.53M based on 4th Quarter of 2014 reported data * Last 12 months revenue: $1.92B * Operating Cash Flow: 266.89M * Dividends: N/A Qualitative Analysis Company Profile: What services and products do they sell and/or manufacture? DeVry Education Group is a corporation based in Downers Grove, Illinois. It was founded in 1931and it presently operates a number of for-profit higher education institutions, worldwide. It operates in three segments: Medical and Healthcare; International and Professional Educational; and Business, Technology and Management. The Medical and Healthcare segment operates American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Chamberlain College...
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...September, 2015 Unforgiving College Expenses Many young adults have a misconception of how significant student loan debt is. In addition, many form a false sense of security and seem to believe that if you have a four-year degree you are guaranteed a financial success. This however is not true, the constant push for a college education society places on young adults makes college very misconceiving. High schools and parents push students to go to college. High school administrators and parents alike encourage students to trek the college path at every given oppturnity. Posters displayed on Deer Valley High School walls frequently compare degrees and income levels. For instance, a high school graduate can expect to earn roughly 1.2 million dollars in a lifetime. A college graduate’s average earnings ascend to 2.1 million dollars. A master’s degree recipient would observe his/her average income increase by 400,000 dollars, while a doctorate level graduate tops everyone at a whopping 3.4-million-dollar lifetime earnings (“Burleson Consulting”). Parents are major influences on adolescents’ thoughts and decisions. While parents often adamantly encourage their children to attend college, rarely is there mention of the potentially taxing expense of doing so. College expenses have increased drastically. According to an article from U.S. News and World Report, a contrast between the previous generation and today’s is the expense of a college degree (Berger). The average annual...
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...The Concern of College Dropout rates in The United States RES/351 October 31, 2013 Dr. Albert Smothers The Concern of College Dropout rates in The United States The United States is known for spending a great deal of funds on higher education. However in recent years statistics have revealed a high rate of college students fail to obtain their bachelor’s degrees. Currently 42% of college enrolled students fail to complete their education for bachelor’s degrees. Both educators and economists see this as an issue that can impact the country economically and the overall quality of life (Dunn, W. 2013). Purpose of the Research The purpose of our organizations study is to determine the correlation between a student’s level of preparation for higher education and the national dropout rate of colleges in the United States. Specifically, this study will focus on students that attended four year universities with intentions of obtaining their bachelor’s degree, however, they ended up leaving school without this degree. Many people pursue college degrees to obtain specific disciplines and higher education in order to become successful and contributing members of society. However, many of these students are exposed for the first time to environments or challenges that college may present with no preparation or ability to adapt and complete their degree programs. Dropping out of college could potentially impact ones future income earnings and quality of life (Dunn, W. 2013). The...
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...hours per semester they should take when they go to college; more than 50 percent indicated 12 hours as an ideal college course load. Though 12 hours is a full-time course load, it is impossible for a student to earn a bachelor's degree within four years unless a student takes an additional six hours during the summer. The primary route to earning a bachelor’s degree within four years is to successfully complete 15 credit hours per semester, for a total of 30 credit hours annually. To improve college graduation rates and encourage on-time completion, the state of Georgia has launched 15 to Finish, a proven advisement, retention, progression, and graduation initiative that encourages students to take 15 credits per semester, thereby spending less time and money to earn a degree. The goal of Complete College Georgia and 15 to Finish is to provide better information and educate all students on tuition and fees, graduation rates and job opportunities to ensure successful college completion. The 15 to Finish initiative is important because many students express a desire to graduate within four years. Colleges are referred to as either four-year or two-year institutions, but most students are taking longer to graduate. In fact, if 100 students entered college today in the state of Georgia, only 11 students would graduate on time at a four-year college and only five would graduate on time at a two-year college (Complete College America, 2011). Full time-students are taking an...
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...1. Topic: Online Education 2. Research Question: Is online education more advantageous (favorable) than traditional classroom education? 3. Thesis Statement: Research suggests that online education (is more) (has become more) advantageous than traditional classroom education by offering lower tuition costs, more diverse and obtainable degrees and masteries, and by enabling the realistic pursuit of higher intellectual learning for paraprofessionals and unconventional students. Task 1 Annotated Bibliography Smith, David E., Mitry, Darryl J. (2008). Investigation of Higher Education: The Real Costs and Quality of Online Programs. Journal of Education for Business; Jan/Feb2008, Vol. 83 Issue 3, p147-152, 6p, 1 Chart. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?hid=7&sid=2eb08f08-6338-4b77-9193-45add548c475%40sessionmgr14&vid=2 This article by Smith and Mitry (2008) addresses via analytical inquiry the cost and quality of online teaching in college education. These authors are doctors in their respective fields at National University, and this article was published in a peer-reviewed journal. Using a variety of different scientific tools Smith and Mitry (2008) clearly explain the problems, illuminate the solutions, and discuss, imply, and recommend ways to help online education realize its true potential. While there is a lot of information about many different facets of online education, this article shines with the recommendations that the authors...
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...APPLICATIONS OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES OF MANAGEMENT IN ADMINISTRATIVE/ACADEMIC DECISION-MAKING IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA by Carlos A. Valero Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION in Educational Administration APPROVED: ______________________ Don G. Creamer, Chairman __________________________________ ____________________________ Karl T. Hereford _________________________ Stephen R. Parson January, 1997 Blacksburg, Virginia David J. Parks ____________________ John W. Dickey APPLICATIONS OF QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES OF MANAGEMENT IN ADMINISTRATIVE/ACADEMIC DECISION-MAKING IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA by Carlos A. Valero Educational Administration Don G. Creamer, Chair Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the status and extent to which administrators of colleges and universities in the state of Virginia apply qualitative and quantitative techniques of management in planning, directing, reporting, and controlling activities for enhancing their administrative and academic decision-making capability. The study was directed to the top and operative organizational levels in two categories of administrators (nonacademic and academic) to determine the types of managerial techniques used, degrees of familiarity with these techniques, frequency of...
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...Hays RHET 105 February 28, 2016 An Annotated Bibliography: “The benefits of a college degree does not outweigh the cost of it” Abel, Jaison R., and Richard Deitz. "Do The Benefits Of College Still Outweigh The Costs?." Current Issues In Economics & Finance 20.3 (2014): 1-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Mar. 2016. People who graduated with a college degree still questions whether college was a good investment for them. “Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs?” addresses how students who graduated with a college degree are still unemployed and in debt. Furthermore, students have paid more to attend college and earning less upon graduation. This academic journal compares both the pros and cons of attending college. It contains graphs and illustrations that contribute more data about increasing tuition and how it affects your decision about whether to attend college. “The total costs to attend a 4-year college outweighs some people’s home value.” I thought this quote summarizes the academic journal very briefly. “Do the Benefits of College Still Outweigh the Costs?” is a scholarly source and an academic journal. The data in it is really reliable for my research paper. It contains graphs and illustrations which could be used to make conclusions. This academic journal is more biased towards the people who believe that the benefits of college do not outweigh the costs. I could potentially use this source to support my thesis more efficiently. I could...
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...Stupidity is Free. A Degree is Not. A brief history Harvard College was one of the first colleges founded in the United States; upon its conception, the college’s main purpose was to train young men for the ministry. Harvard was modeled after Oxford and Cambridge universities (About Harvard College). During the early 19th century, smaller colleges were founded to help young men transition from rural farms to urban occupations. Prestigious colleges at the time became more exclusive by concentrating on the children from wealthy families, ministers and a few others. Those prestigious colleges and universities are still very exclusive today mainly due to their expensive tuition. Students who attend these colleges are generally from wealthy families, have scholarships for high academic achievements or graduate with extremely high loan debts. In the early 20th century, junior colleges or now known as community colleges were created to prepare students for the final two years of college. Later in the 20th century state colleges were created to provide higher education at a lower tuition cost. Due to the rise of community and state colleges, students now have the opportunity for higher education, and college became part of the American dream for both students and their parents. Over the past, half a century students have been working diligently to prepare for college with the hopes of graduating with a degree that will provide them with the career of their...
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...In the reading selection Should Everyone Go to College? It is a primary strategy that is being used to give two opposing sides to the question. Both parties provide details for their choosing as well as using the strategy of skills providing reasons. The side that agrees with the question explains that having a degree will benefit the future. Whereas, the side that disagrees elaborates on stating that not every occupation requires one, so it is not always necessary to have. The primary goal for both sides is to provide those with information to think about the future primarily aiming towards the youth. Furthermore, the agreeing side's message is clear as estimating stated in the selection Should Everyone Go To College? by Stephanie Owen and...
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...LEADERSHIP AMONGST THE PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTES IN MALAYSIA Loh Teck Hua KDU University College Business School Section 13 Campus, 76, Jalan Universiti, 46200, Petaling Jaya, Selangor DE ABSTRACT One of Malaysia’s economic goals is to become an education hub for the region. To achieve this, the Malaysian government had liberalised government policies resulting in the proliferation of Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) including private Universities and University Colleges. As competition intensifies it becomes increasingly pertinent to ask “What sustainable competitive advantage should the Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) have to achieve market leadership in the Malaysian education industry?” For the smaller PHEIs, it is a question of survival itself. This paper aims to provide a theoretical study of some of the key strategic activities of the leading PHEIs to answer this question. The literature review covering both foreign and local sources indicates three key factors of sustainable competitive advantage, i.e. branding and image, the physical aspects of higher education including location and facilities, and the mode of delivery. The paper will seek to identify these factors amongst the market leaders to ascertain the validity of the secondary data via critical analysis of their activities. The theoretical framework employed for the analysis will be Michael Porter’s Three Generic Strategies and Five Competitive Forces. The PHEIs have largely...
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