The amount of non-faculty employees in my department is much higher than when I arrived in 1989. Some of that is fund-raising, and i'd think that those employees pay for themselves. Some are for positions that didn't exist then but are needed now, for computers and technology. Many are for student services - we have many more students who are high need now than back then. Students battling anxiety and health issues and learning disabilities - we hardly had any of that 30 years ago. About 1 in 8 students now get extra time on exams.

K-12 have had an explosion of special ed costs; and they don't even pretend to do a good job for those students in need.

Students are both more coddled than before and have a more difficult life than we did back then. Certainly cost of living and crime make it harder to be at Berkeley than it used to be.

My kids go to university outside of California. Many of their classmates are from California, and many of their families left California in the past 10 years.

While I had a good experience as a UCB grad student, I'm sorry to say that I wouldn't want my kids going there.

BearlyCareAnymore said:

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HearstMining said:

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Per the Chron, so behind their paywall (although this can occasionally be defeated via judicious use of the ESC key as the article paints on your screen). Is this a harbinger of things to come? As funding from the state and feds declines, and students/parents push back on fee hikes, colleges are not going to risk their very existence just so athletes can play a sport.

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1. I keep hearing an argument that college is not financially worth it. This just flat out goes against all statistical evidence regarding the lifetime earnings of college graduates vs some college vs. high school graduates. The question is not close. It is also not close that college graduates are significantly more insulated from increases in unemployment rates.

2. Even more common is the argument that "certain majors" aren't worth it. This also flat out goes against statistical evidence which shows those with degrees in "certain majors" have high lifetime earnings, comparable or higher than other majors people associate with high income potential. As an example, the dean of students at one of my kids' university orientations cited a statistic that those in the 55th percentile of earners among Art History majors (so slightly above average), are on par with those in the 45th percentile of earners among biology majors (so slightly below average). Their point being that doing something that you are passionate and good at and succeeding is far more valuable than doing something you are not passionate about and not good at because you perceive it to be a more lucrative field.

What is definitely true is that engineers kick butt in terms of career earnings. However, time after time, statistics show career earnings in many "certain majors" eclipse those of more accepted fields like business majors over a lifetime. It is certainly true that it will be more difficult to get your first job. It is true that you will struggle more early in your career. But many fields of study that do not lead to an instant career path teach skills that are often overlooked and undervalued that lead people to overtake their counterparts later in their career. The statistics on this have been pretty consistent over decades.

What I would argue to anyone is that we live in a world that changes quickly and you cannot count on any one skill sustaining you through a 40-50 year working career. You better be able to adapt. Whether it is college, trade school, or some other path, you need to separate yourself from others. If 1000 other people can do what you do, the market will ultimately catch up with you and you will be screwed.

3. Obviously costs of college education have been soaring. The fact that it is still an excellent investment doesn't mean it is an investment everyone can afford. Over a lifetime, buying stocks is pretty much always a good investment, but that doesn't mean everyone can throw a couple hundred grand into stocks. No one asks why most Americans don't buy substantial amounts of stocks and then blames the ROI on stocks for the issue. We acknowledge that most people can't afford to invest heavily in the stock market. College is a huge outlay that takes years to recoup. The opportunity cost is also tremendous. Many people just can't do that. Many people could but prefer short term rewards to long term gains. It is pretty much obvious Econ 1 stuff that as costs skyrocket, demand goes down.

4. Millennials were the next spike in population corresponding with the boomer spike and they are no longer of college age. Our birthrate is in steady decline and is at its lowest point. Colleges that saw dramatically escalating enrollment are finding they are on the other side of the hump. But beware those who bundle 2 year and 4 year institutions together statistically. The percentage of young people enrolling in 2 year institutions has fallen precipitously, but the percentage enrolled in 4 year institutions has actually increased over the past 10 years.

5. I don't know if this has an actual impact on the numbers (actually, I doubt it), but going to most Cal State universities as a freshman or sophomore is just plain a bad financial value unless you place an exorbitant value on campus experience. JC's in California cost virtually nothing. If you are an above average student at all, you have an extremely, extremely good chance of getting into a UC out of JC. You are all but assured of getting into a Cal State. In the specific example of Sonoma State, tuition alone ins $8600 more than going to a JC. Hard to see the value proposition of going to Sonoma State for 4 years vs. going to JC for 2 and Sonoma State for 2. (not to mention that you are much more likely to get into a better school after 2 years at JC). There are notable exceptions to this dynamic in the Cal State system - schools that are more highly sought after - but this is the current situation for the rank and file Cal states.

6. All of that said, doing something you are not interested in because you think it will make you more money is a bad bet, and that includes college. You will get out of college what you put into it. If you don't appreciate the skills you can learn there or if you don't make use of them when you leave, you are just wasting an investment. If you view it as doing 4 years time and then you come out with a piece of paper and someone will give you a high paying job - that isn't the way things work anymore. If that is your feeling, do yourself a favor and skip it and start searching for your niche in the workforce and start earning and gaining experience.

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Knowledge is unnecessary, and even a handicap in America. Get real.