Oprah Winfrey arrives to give the keynote commencement address at her alma mater, Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, in May 2023.

Higher Education

The Case for Lesser-Known Colleges

by Elwood Watson August 11, 2026August 13, 2026

The premium on prestigious colleges is wildly overrated. I should know.

California State University’s 22 campuses, along with public institutions in other states across the country, are piloting shortened bachelor’s degrees. Here, students study in a library on the campus of California State University, Long Beach in Long Beach, California, in October, 2012.

Higher Education

The Quiet Redesign of the Bachelor’s Degree

by Bruno V. Manno July 29, 2026August 10, 2026

Amid millions carrying some college credit and no bachelor’s degree, the lines between community college, four-year institutions, and even high schools are blurring. How to make this brave new world even better.

Higher Education

The Underemployed College Graduate and How Not to Become One

by Michael T. Nietzel February 22, 2024April 4, 2024

Choosing the right fields of study, the right school, and getting an internship can all make a big difference.

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Thriving After High School: A Foundation to Build On

A new report makes a nuanced case for what post-secondary graduates need to get ahead.

by Bruno V. Manno

Workforce Pell’s Missing Rudder

Congress finally opened Pell Grants to short-term job training. Now states have to build the systems that can tell which programs actually work.

by Bruno V. Manno

Once Globally Preeminent, U.S. Universities Are Sliding Into Decline

High costs, political attacks take a toll as fewer students come, top scholars leave.

by Jon Marcus

Higher Ed’s Affordability Problem Isn’t Just the Price

New survey data suggests that more Americans might see the value of a degree if schools simplified their pricing systems.

by Michael T. Nietzel

four-year degree

The Case for Lesser-Known Colleges

The Quiet Redesign of the Bachelor’s Degree

The Underemployed College Graduate and How Not to Become One

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More on higher education

Thriving After High School: A Foundation to Build On

Workforce Pell’s Missing Rudder

Once Globally Preeminent, U.S. Universities Are Sliding Into Decline

Higher Ed’s Affordability Problem Isn’t Just the Price

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Independent since 1969.

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More on higher education

Thriving After High School: A Foundation to Build On

Workforce Pell’s Missing Rudder

Once Globally Preeminent, U.S. Universities Are Sliding Into Decline

Higher Ed’s Affordability Problem Isn’t Just the Price

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