Economics of Higher Education

Economics of Higher Education
Author: Robert K. Toutkoushian
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 398
Release: 2016-03-18
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9401775060

This book examines the many ways in which economic concepts, theories and models can be used to examine issues in higher education. The topics explored in the book include how students make college-going decisions, the payoffs to students and society from going to college, markets for higher education services, demand and supply in markets for higher education, why and how state and federal governments intervene in higher education markets, college and university revenues and expenditures, how institutions use net-pricing strategies and non-price product-differentiation strategies to pursue their goals and to compete in higher education markets, as well as issues related to faculty labor markets. The book is written for both economists and non-economists who study higher education issues and provides readers with background information and thorough explanations and illustrations of key economic concepts. In addition to reviewing the contributions economists have made to the study of higher education, it also examines recent research in each of the major topical areas. The book is policy-focused and each chapter analyses how contemporary higher education policies affect the behaviour of students, faculty and/or institutions of higher education. "Toutkoushian and Paulsen attempted a daunting task: to write a book on the economics of higher education for non-economists that is also useful to economists. A book that could be used for reference and as a textbook for higher education classes in economics, finance, and policy. They accomplish this tough balancing act with stunning success in a large volume that will serve as the go-to place for anyone interested in the history and current thinking on the economics of higher education.” William E. Becker, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Economics, Indiana University

Higher Education Under Fire

Higher Education Under Fire
Author: Michael Bérubé
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 392
Release: 1995
Genre: College teachers
ISBN: 9780415908061

First Published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Economics of Education

Economics of Education
Author: Michael Lovenheim
Publisher: Worth
Total Pages:
Release: 2019-12-18
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781319282202

While there are many great research articles, good books, and provocative policy analyses related to the economics of education, these materials are often written to influence the policy process and not necessarily for students with limited knowledge of the underlying policies and the economic framework. This textbook is intended to serve as a foundation for a broad-based course on the economics of education. Its goal is to provide an overview of economics of education research: to lay out the evidence as clearly as possible, note agreements, disagreements, and unresolved points in literature, and to help students develop the tools necessary to draw their own conclusions.

Campus Economics

Campus Economics
Author: Sandy Baum
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 168
Release: 2023-02-14
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0691229929

An invaluable primer on the role economic reasoning plays in campus debate and decision making Campus Economics provides college and university administrators, trustees, and faculty with an essential understanding of how college finances actually work. Sandy Baum and Michael McPherson explain the concepts needed to analyze the pros, the cons, and the trade-offs of difficult decisions, and offer a common language for discussing the many challenges confronting institutions of higher learning today, from COVID-19 to funding cuts and declining enrollments. Emphasizing the unique characteristics of the academic enterprise and the primacy of the institutional mission, Baum and McPherson use economic concepts such as opportunity cost and decisions at the margin to facilitate conversations about how best to ensure an institution’s ongoing success. The problems facing higher education are more urgent than ever before, but the underlying issues are the same in good times and bad. Baum and McPherson give nontechnical, user-friendly guidance for navigating all kinds of economic conditions and draw on real-world examples of campus issues to illustrate both institutional constraints and untapped opportunities. Campus Economics helps faculty, administrators, trustees, and government policymakers engage in constructive dialogue that can lead to decisions that align finite resources with the pursuit of the institutional mission.

The Knowledge Capital of Nations

The Knowledge Capital of Nations
Author: Eric A. Hanushek
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 275
Release: 2023-08-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 026254895X

A rigorous, pathbreaking analysis demonstrating that a country's prosperity is directly related in the long run to the skills of its population. In this book Eric Hanushek and Ludger Woessmann make a simple, central claim, developed with rigorous theoretical and empirical support: knowledge is the key to a country's development. Of course, every country acknowledges the importance of developing human capital, but Hanushek and Woessmann argue that message has become distorted, with politicians and researchers concentrating not on valued skills but on proxies for them. The common focus is on school attainment, although time in school provides a very misleading picture of how skills enter into development. Hanushek and Woessmann contend that the cognitive skills of the population—which they term the “knowledge capital” of a nation—are essential to long-run prosperity. Hanushek and Woessmann subject their hypotheses about the relationship between cognitive skills (as consistently measured by international student assessments) and economic growth to a series of tests, including alternate specifications, different subsets of countries, and econometric analysis of causal interpretations. They find that their main results are remarkably robust, and equally applicable to developing and developed countries. They demonstrate, for example, that the “Latin American growth puzzle” and the “East Asian miracle” can be explained by these regions' knowledge capital. Turning to the policy implications of their argument, they call for an education system that develops effective accountability, promotes choice and competition, and provides direct rewards for good performance.

Productivity in Higher Education

Productivity in Higher Education
Author: Caroline M. Hoxby
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2019-11-22
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 022657458X

How do the benefits of higher education compare with its costs, and how does this comparison vary across individuals and institutions? These questions are fundamental to quantifying the productivity of the education sector. The studies in Productivity in Higher Education use rich and novel administrative data, modern econometric methods, and careful institutional analysis to explore productivity issues. The authors examine the returns to undergraduate education, differences in costs by major, the productivity of for-profit schools, the productivity of various types of faculty and of outcomes, the effects of online education on the higher education market, and the ways in which the productivity of different institutions responds to market forces. The analyses recognize five key challenges to assessing productivity in higher education: the potential for multiple student outcomes in terms of skills, earnings, invention, and employment; the fact that colleges and universities are “multiproduct” firms that conduct varied activities across many domains; the fact that students select which school to attend based in part on their aptitude; the difficulty of attributing outcomes to individual institutions when students attend more than one; and the possibility that some of the benefits of higher education may arise from the system as a whole rather than from a single institution. The findings and the approaches illustrated can facilitate decision-making processes in higher education.

The Case against Education

The Case against Education
Author: Bryan Caplan
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 518
Release: 2019-08-20
Genre: Education
ISBN: 0691201439

Why we need to stop wasting public funds on education Despite being immensely popular—and immensely lucrative—education is grossly overrated. Now with a new afterword by Bryan Caplan, this explosive book argues that the primary function of education is not to enhance students' skills but to signal the qualities of a good employee. Learn why students hunt for easy As only to forget most of what they learn after the final exam, why decades of growing access to education have not resulted in better jobs for average workers, how employers reward workers for costly schooling they rarely ever use, and why cutting education spending is the best remedy. Romantic notions about education being "good for the soul" must yield to careful research and common sense—The Case against Education points the way.

English for Economics in Higher Education Studies

English for Economics in Higher Education Studies
Author: Mark Roberts
Publisher: English for Specific Academic Purposes
Total Pages: 139
Release: 2012
Genre: Economics
ISBN: 9781859644485

English for Economics in Higher Education Studies The Garnet Education English for Specific Academic Purposes series won the Duke of Edinburgh English Speaking Union English Language Book Award in 2009. English for Economics is a skills-based course designed specifically for students of economics who are about to enter English-medium tertiary level studies. It provides carefully graded practice and progressions in the key academic skills that all students need, such as listening to lectures and speaking in seminars. It also equips students with the specialist language they need to participate successfully within a economics department. Extensive listening exercises come from economics lectures, and all reading texts are taken from the same field of study. There is also a focus throughout on the key economics vocabulary that students will need. Listening: how to understand and take effective notes on extended lectures, including how to follow the argument and identify the speaker's point of view. Speaking: how to participate effectively in a variety of realistic situations, from seminars to presentations, including how to develop an argument and use stance markers. Reading: how to understand a wide range of texts, from academic textbooks to Internet articles, including how to analyze complex sentences and identify such things as the writer's stance. Writing: how to produce coherent and well-structured assignments, including such skills as paraphrasing and the use of the appropriate academic phrases. Vocabulary: a wide range of activities to develop students' knowledge and use of key vocabulary, both in the field of economics and of academic study in general. Vocabulary and Skills banks: a reference source to provide students with revision of the key words and phrases and skills presented in each unit. Full transcripts of all listening exercises. The Garnet English for Specific Academic Purposes series covers a range of academic subjects. All titles present the same skills and vocabulary points. Teachers can therefore deal with a range of ESAP courses at the same time, knowing that each subject title will focus on the same key skills and follow the same structure. Key Features Systematic approach to developing academic skills through relevant content. Focus on receptive skills (reading and listening) to activate productive skills (writing and speaking) in subject area. Eight-page units combine language and academic skills teaching. Vocabulary and academic skills bank in each unit for reference and revision. Audio CDs for further self-study or homework. Ideal coursework for EAP teachers. Extra resources at www.garnetesap.com