Big Fix: Solutions for higher education

Is a college degree worth it? More families are asking that question as tuition skyrockets.

Higher education is facing a crisis by almost all measures. Tuitions are roughly double the cost from three decades ago and more than a dozen schools now have a price tag over $100,000, putting a four-year degree increasingly out of reach for many Americans.

Schools are also bracing for a demographic cliff with declining birthrates shrinking the number of prospective students in coming years. And more young people are weighing the cost and deciding a 4-year degree won’t pay off for them.

Plus there are AI disruptions to academics, cuts to public funding, the decline in international students, the political interference by the Trump administration and campus culture wars, all of which have led to public confidence in higher education hitting a historic low.

This month’s Big Fix is tackling higher education. We’ve brought together a panel of experts to pitch their solutions for reforming America’s colleges and Universities. And we want to hear your big fix ideas, too.

Guests:

• Jeffrey Selingo, author of Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You and special advisor to the president, Arizona State University
• Julie Wollman, president emerita of Widener University and professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania
• Tyler Austin Harper, staff writer for The Atlantic and co-host of the “Time to Say Goodbye” podcast.