REGENTS REPORT 

Public Opinion of Higher Education

National and State Surveys Find College is Important to the Future

National

Americans view college education as very important for the future of individuals and for state economies. This conclusion was drawn by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education in its recently released report, The Price of Admission. In February 1998 the center, in cooperation with Public Agenda, a nonprofit research organization, surveyed 700 Americans nationwide on the importance of higher education. The following findings are highlighted.

View Percentage

• High school graduates should go to college because in the long run they’ll have better job prospects. 86%
• Getting a college education is more important than it was ten years ago.75%
• This state needs more college-educated workers so that the state can attract high-tech jobs and businesses. 60%
• Agree: We should not allow the price of a college education to keep students who are qualified and motivated to go to college from doing so. 89%
• The benefit a student gets from attending college mostly depends on how much effort he or she puts in. 91%
• State and federal governments should more often provide students with opportunities to work for the financial aid they get. 80%
• If admitting everyone who is qualified makes access more difficult, colleges should offer classes in evenings and on weekends. 94%

Source: John Immerwahr, The Price of Admission, The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, 1998.
http://www.highereducation.org

South Dakota

In 1997 the state’s Business Research Bureau surveyed 762 South Dakotans about higher education. Although these surveys were not identical, some similar questions were asked. Highlighted findings from the BRB survey include the following.

View Percentage

• Over the next ten years, a college education will be more important/much more important. 75%
• South Dakota public universities prepare students for the workplace as effectively as neighboring universities. 81%
• South Dakota public universities should be the primary source of skills updating and retraining for mid-career professionals. 89%
• Students at South Dakota public universities pay about the right amount for their college education. 46%
• Agree: Public universities should provide both general education and career specific courses in the major field. 69%
• Agree: The universities should offer courses off-campus.78%

  

Job Growth Projections

The U.S. Department of Labor projects that the rate of job growth in the next decade will depend on level of education and skill training. As the graph at the right displays, job growth for college graduates will approximate 25%, which will be exceeded only by low-skill low-pay jobs.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Releases New 1996-2006 Employment Projections, December 3, 1997.

E-mail us at: info@bor.state.sd.us

Conclusion

South Dakotans, like most Americans, view higher education as more significant than ever. Job growth projections confirm what the public already believes: More jobs will require college education. South Dakotans want their universities to prepare people for the workplace and to retrain them throughout their lives.