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There are over 4000 colleges and universities in the U.S, ranging from low cost community colleges to very expensive private schools. That's a lot of options f

There are over 4000 colleges and universities in the U.S, ranging from low cost community colleges to very expensive private schools. That's a lot of options for people looking for an education. New schools are still started, although not as often as before, and they are usually public schools. Still, to claim that the college market is uncompetitive makes no sense.

tokenadult 17y ago
to claim that the college market is uncompetitive makes no sense. You've convinced me that to claim that the college market doesn't have a lot of participants makes no sense. But I don't think anyone was making that claim here. What would be good evidence that a college that wants to do something new and different (e.g., offer a three-year accredited degree at lower cost than a four-year degree) is in a strong competitive position in the current market? How do colleges compete one against another?
- nazgulnarsil 17y ago
  they compete by giving their students access to better jobs or academic positions than they would have had by attending a different school. college is a prestige and credentials game.
- Retric 17y ago
  How do colleges compete one against another? They compete for new students / the parents of said students. The problem is even with all that competition schools don't grow and quickly grow and take over the market so students end up competing for them. Which is why schools focus on looking good from the outside and not really innovating in education.
- tallanvor 17y ago
  They compete for students. They compete for professors (both those who will attract students and those who will attract grant money). They compete for peer recognition. If colleges believe they can offer a 3 year degree that will result in students who are able to compete against students with a 4 year degree, they will do so. And, to be honest, a couple will probably try. The format of higher education in America has been evolving for close to 400 years. During that time, many ideas have been tested, and you can still find a few colleges that are very different than the norm. However, the vast majority look similar in terms of how degrees are structured because that is what was found to be the most effective in preparing students for a career after they graduate. You can argue over whether or not whether the traditional methods are best, but at the end of the day they work for the majority of students here. And, of course, the quality of higher education in America is high enough to attract people from all over the world. At the end of the day, you don't have to take my word for it - just look into some of the research that's been done, both in terms of curriculum and general student development, and you'll get an idea as to just how much time is being put into determining the best ways to help students learn and grow.

tokenadult 17y ago

to claim that the college market is uncompetitive makes no sense. You've convinced me that to claim that the college market doesn't have a lot of participants makes no sense. But I don't think anyone was making that claim here. What would be good evidence that a college that wants to do something new and different (e.g., offer a three-year accredited degree at lower cost than a four-year degree) is in a strong competitive position in the current market? How do colleges compete one against another?

nazgulnarsil 17y ago
they compete by giving their students access to better jobs or academic positions than they would have had by attending a different school. college is a prestige and credentials game.
Retric 17y ago
How do colleges compete one against another? They compete for new students / the parents of said students. The problem is even with all that competition schools don't grow and quickly grow and take over the market so students end up competing for them. Which is why schools focus on looking good from the outside and not really innovating in education.
tallanvor 17y ago
They compete for students. They compete for professors (both those who will attract students and those who will attract grant money). They compete for peer recognition. If colleges believe they can offer a 3 year degree that will result in students who are able to compete against students with a 4 year degree, they will do so. And, to be honest, a couple will probably try. The format of higher education in America has been evolving for close to 400 years. During that time, many ideas have been tested, and you can still find a few colleges that are very different than the norm. However, the vast majority look similar in terms of how degrees are structured because that is what was found to be the most effective in preparing students for a career after they graduate. You can argue over whether or not whether the traditional methods are best, but at the end of the day they work for the majority of students here. And, of course, the quality of higher education in America is high enough to attract people from all over the world. At the end of the day, you don't have to take my word for it - just look into some of the research that's been done, both in terms of curriculum and general student development, and you'll get an idea as to just how much time is being put into determining the best ways to help students learn and grow.