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> If everyone can finish University, then having a university title becomes pointless! Certainly the competitive advantage has decreased over time. Having gone

> If everyone can finish University, then having a university title becomes pointless! Certainly the competitive advantage has decreased over time. Having gone through the US university system myself I can confirm that there is... lets say "inflationary pressure", though I've also been at a european university and the same pressure existed there and for all the same reasons. I agree that the university debt seems to be a uniquely american issue though.

franciscop 8y ago
Exactly. My point is that US "score inflation" seems to be faster than in Europe. Maybe it has something to do with capitalism/socialism (pleasing the student/client), maybe with culture, maybe with language, etc. I don't know why, but it seems that way for me.
- jxub 8y ago
  Also, I'm sure it is correlated with paying so much for a degree. When a single year can cost tens of thousands failing a subject might incentivize the student to drop out, resulting in loss of a high-paying and otherwise reliable customer. When there is no obvious reason, the purpose is always monetary in nature.
  - esfandia 8y ago
    In Ontario (and probably other provinces in Canada), there is a strong financial incentive by the province to universities (in the form of tuition matching) to maintain a high retention rate.
    - jxub 8y ago
      Now that's perverse... It seems like our short-sighted vision is screwing us in realms of both finance and education.
- flatfilefan 8y ago
  On Cuba the higher education is free but if you study medicine you have to work a few years on a government assignment before you can even choose where to work and you may not emigrate. Sounds pretty draconian but compared with the cabal of the student debt system and the effect it has on the prices of the medical care, maybe not so much?
- DeepYogurt 8y ago
  Could be. I couldn't compare rates, but the general trends seemed similar to me.

franciscop 8y ago

Exactly. My point is that US "score inflation" seems to be faster than in Europe. Maybe it has something to do with capitalism/socialism (pleasing the student/client), maybe with culture, maybe with language, etc. I don't know why, but it seems that way for me.

jxub 8y ago
Also, I'm sure it is correlated with paying so much for a degree. When a single year can cost tens of thousands failing a subject might incentivize the student to drop out, resulting in loss of a high-paying and otherwise reliable customer. When there is no obvious reason, the purpose is always monetary in nature.
- esfandia 8y ago
  In Ontario (and probably other provinces in Canada), there is a strong financial incentive by the province to universities (in the form of tuition matching) to maintain a high retention rate.
  - jxub 8y ago
    Now that's perverse... It seems like our short-sighted vision is screwing us in realms of both finance and education.
flatfilefan 8y ago
On Cuba the higher education is free but if you study medicine you have to work a few years on a government assignment before you can even choose where to work and you may not emigrate. Sounds pretty draconian but compared with the cabal of the student debt system and the effect it has on the prices of the medical care, maybe not so much?
DeepYogurt 8y ago
Could be. I couldn't compare rates, but the general trends seemed similar to me.