Question for Fans of Universal College Attendance
25th September 2011
Bryan Caplan is not afraid to ask the hard questions.
Question for people who think that (almost) everyone should go to college:
Do you also think that (almost) everyone should major in high-paid technical fields like engineering, medicine, and computer science?
If not, why not?
If the college premium is an overpowering reason to go to college, why isn’t the technical premium an overpowering reason to major in a technical field?
If you think (almost) everyone has the brains and work ethic to finish college, why doubt that (almost) everyone has the brains and work ethic to finish an engineering degree?
If you think most or all of the college premium is a treatment effect, not selection, why doubt that most or all of the technical premium is, likewise, a treatment effect, not selection?
Pray tell.