New Deal Numerology: Higher Education

by Deputy Editor Tim Price, New Deal Blog, Roosevelt Institute

This week’s numbers: 40.4%; 12; 70%; 8 million; 7.8 million…

40.4% … is a collegiate number. That’s how many Americans age 25 to 34 hold postsecondary degrees. Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum holds three himself, presumably to keep them from falling into more vulnerable hands.

12 … is a diplomatic number. That’s where the US now ranks among developed countries in young adult college graduates. We’ve debased ourselves so much that we lost the top slot to Canada, our wholesale supplier for timber, discount drugs, and stand-up comedians.

70% … is a compensating number. That’s how much higher median annual pay is for people with bachelor’s degrees compared to high school graduates. It’s almost enough to help them hold back their tears once their student loan bills come due.

8 million … is an additive number. That’s how many more college graduates President Obama wants to have by 2020. And if they could all move to Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, or Virginia after college, the Democratic Party would really appreciate it.

7.8 million … is a well-served number. That’s how many World War II vets benefited from the G.I. Bill, which helped pay for their education. That’s why we remember them as the Snobbiest Generation, with all their fancy liberal book-learning and historic prosperity.

With permission of the blog, New Deal 2.0

Quote of the Week: “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.” — FDR, address to the National Education Association, June 30, 1938