Is college worth it?

If higher education is valuable to both individuals and society, why is public opinion of it so negative? 

Koppell: Many reasons. People are dissatisfied with college completion rates. That's a legitimate criticism. The more challenging point is: Are we appropriately attuned to our responsibility to prepare people for post-college success? Could we be more self-critical about whether we're doing that well or not? I think the answer to that is yes as well. 

Of course, it has become a political strategy to attack universities. I think the reflexive behavior is to push back and say, “This is outrageous! How can you say that?” Some of the criticisms are grossly unfair, and they're not intended to be honest. But some of the issues are beyond higher education. The reality is that the gains in prosperity over the last 30 years have not been shared as equitably as in previous eras. So the “rising tide” argument is just weaker. 

Nevertheless, we can and should own our shortcomings. For many years we didn't bother to explain why we do things. That's where we can get better — by being more engaged and more transparent about what we're trying to achieve and why. By not engaging, you let your critics define the terms.

Here's the reality: There are more people in this country who went to college and don't have a degree than do, and millions of them borrowed money to attend college that they can’t afford to repay. We have to answer for that and not be surprised that many people don’t feel warm and fuzzy about us. We need to understand how our students get disrupted, anticipate those challenges and intervene effectively. 

One of my heroes is Teddy Roosevelt, who famously said, It's not the critic who counts; it's the man in the arena. That applies to us, too. The university needs to enter the arena. That doesn't simply mean being a pugilist. It means being willing to change and offer solutions while punching back at critics. We need to be constantly asking, what can we do differently and better to stop having the same outcomes that are so frustrating to so many people?

What makes a college education worth it for Montclair students? 

Koppell: The experience and the end results. Montclair State University is a rare bird. We’re a majority-minority and Hispanic-Serving Institution that is among the top tier of R2 doctoral research universities. Half of our students are eligible for federal Pell grants, and over 40% are first-generation college students. Our students graduate at a rate that’s nearly 20% higher than you would anticipate based on those demographics.

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting way of ranking universities. It looks at how long it takes for a student, given the marginal impact on income of a particular school’s degree, to cover the net cost associated with that degree. For Montclair graduates, the answer is less than two years. That shows just how good a job we're doing of being an engine of opportunity. 

Our students come here because they see they have a very high probability of graduating in a strong position to succeed professionally. Contrary to what some people say, it’s not necessarily about maximizing their post-college salary. Students have a much broader view of what they want college to do than that syllogism suggests. They want to grow. They are very concerned about the future of the planet and the country and want to make a difference in the world. 

So many Montclair students I talk to feel like they got all this from their college experience. Even balancing jobs and family responsibilities, they take in every hands-on learning opportunity, and they benefit from studying in an incredibly diverse community. That’s what makes college worth it for our students. I have the utmost respect for them.

This content is paid for and provided by Montclair State University and developed by Inside Higher Ed's sponsored content team. The editorial department of Inside Higher Ed had no role in its production.