Each passing year sees the steady rise of tuition costs for American higher education. Issues of student loans, direct lending to institutions, and federally subsidized grants are a staple of news reporting. As colleges and universities across America grapple with ever-tightening budgetary restrictions, they develop new strategies to provide quality services to an increasing student body with decreasing income from endowments, donations, and government programs. For their part, students must grapple with a more competitive job market, and the prospect of unemployment after graduation. As we near the end of the century, many educators, academics, and even potential students are asking an important question: Are our colleges and universities worth what they cost? In this classic study of higher education, Howard K. Bowen discusses the value of higher education to the individual and society, arguing that the nonmonetary benefits so far outweigh the monetary benefits that "individual and social decisions about the future of higher education should be made primarily on the basis of nonmonetary considerations." Responding to demands for efficiency and accountability, Investment in Learning is still as applicable today as it was twenty years ago.

In this classic study of higher education, Bowen discusses the value of higher education to the individual and society, arguing that the nonmonetary benefits far outweigh the monetary benefits.

About the Author
Howard R. Bowen was a distinguished economist and president and chancellor of several universities, including Grinell College, the University of Iowa, and Claremont University Center.

Reviews
This book is not only a worthy effort, but a prerequisite for decisions regarding the allocation of resources in higher education. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science



Book Information
ISBN 9780801855306
Author Howard R. Bowen
Format Paperback
Page Count 536
Imprint Johns Hopkins University Press
Publisher Johns Hopkins University Press
Weight(grams) 737g