> temporarily flips around due to oversupply, like we've seen in some industries, e.g. MBAs at various times, or lawyers recently). Or software engineers in th

> temporarily flips around due to oversupply, like we've seen in some industries, e.g. MBAs at various times, or lawyers recently). Or software engineers in the near future, given the hockey-stick growth in enrollments... which brings up another important benefit of a high-quality tertiary education: when done right, it reduces the barrier to entry for a variety of professions in a variety of industries. If the bubble exists and bursts tomorrow, people who went to university and obtained an education in both CS and in something else will have an alternative to temporary unemployment. Those who went directly into industry jobs out of high school are less likely to have a broad set of skills and knowledge to fall back on. The benefit is not only to the individual -- countries with adaptable work forces have adaptable economies; countries with work forces that are trained exclusively for this decade's cog factories (the engine plants of mom's world are the app dev shops of today) will lag behind when global demand for cogs dies off and widgets become the new lexus of growth and prosperity.