The end of stimulus — as well as the power shift in Congress — will have a profound effect on which regions and states can position themselves for the longer-term recovery. Nowhere will this be more critical than in the battle for brains.
In the past, and the present, places have competed for smart, high-skilled newcomers by building impressive physical infrastructure and offering incentives and inducements for companies or individuals. But the battle for the brains — and for long-term growth — is increasingly tied to whether a state can maintain or expand its state-supported higher education. This is particularly critical given the growing student debt crisis, which may make public institutions even more attractive to top students.
The great role model for higher-education-driven growth has been California. The Golden State’s master plan for education — developed under Pat Brown in 1960 — created an elaborate multi-tiered public system that offered students a low-cost and generally high-quality alternative education. Over the next half century, California became, in historian Kevin Starr’s phrase, a “utopia for higher education,” as well as a model for other states and much of the world.
Today many of the states that copied California’s model — notably North Carolina, Texas and Virginia- — threaten to upend the Golden State’s dominance of public higher education. These states now all spend far more than traditional leader California when you look at percentage of state expenditures; Virginia, for example, spends twice as much of its state budget on higher ed than California does. New York and Illinois spend an even a smaller percentage.
The combination of fiscal woes and misplaced priorities has engendered spending cuts in California. Tuitions for higher public education have soared: In 2009 they were raised 30%, and they have been raised over 100% over the past decade.
To be sure, the University of California (disclaimer: I attended the Berkeley campus) retains a huge reservoir of talent, with courses taught by 111 Nobel Laureates. It still dominates lists of top public universities; six of the top 14 schools in the US News and World Report 2010 rankings are UC schools. But the signs of relative decline are clear. In 2004, for example, the London-based Times Higher Education ranked UC Berkeley the second leading research university in the world, just behind Harvard; in 2009, that ranking, due largely to an expanding student-to-faculty ratio, had tumbled to 39th place.
Other states are now looking to knock California further off its perch. In 2009 alone the University of Texas lured three senior faculty members from UC. As departments shrink at places like Berkeley, those in schools such as the University of Texas at Austin, Texas A&M and Texas Tech have expanded rapidly, adding students and buildings.
Of course, these schools also have budget problems, and they have increased tuition too–albeit at a significantly lower rate. But for the most part, these up-and-coming state systems are more focused on expansion than on retrenching and survival. While some in California question the viability of some of the newer UC campuses, Texas is busily expanding its roster of tier-one, public research universities, seeking to add the University of Houston as well as UT campuses in north Texas, Arlington, Dallas, El Paso and San Antonio to the ranks of UT Austin, Texas A&M and Rice, a private school in Houston.
Texas Tech, best known for its engineering and agriculture-oriented programs, for example, is thriving. Located on the windy Great Plains on the western side of the state, it is far from the state’s major metropolitan areas, and its home town of Lubbock (population: 225,000) is likely not high on anyone’s list of hip and cool college towns. Yet the school, which enjoys strong alumni and business support, is in the midst of a major building boom and a $1 billion capital campaign. When I visited there earlier this month, the campus was full of construction crews; Texas Tech has added over 3000 students in the past two years and now has over 31,000 students.
Other unlikely upstarts include the University of North Dakota, which has boosted spending by 18.5% in 2009, a luxury afforded by the state’s booming energy, agriculture and increasingly high-tech economy. North Dakota, which historically has suffered significant loss of young talent, has set a goal to rank No. 1 in the average education of its population. Today it already ranks No. 3 in terms of college-educated residents between the ages of 25 and 34.
These shifts could presage — and to some degree enhance — what is already a powerful trend toward states that, in the past, have been educational also-rans. Although Texas also faces budgetary constraints, its annualized $9 billion deficit is dwarfed by those of California, Illinois and New York. And those bluish states already have much higher tax rates, which leave less room for revenue increases. Texas also has the luxury of an $8.2 billion “rainy day” fund, as well as a more vibrant economy.
More important still, states like North Carolina, Virginia and Texas continue to grow more rapidly than the older brain-center states. This is particularly true in terms of the high-tech jobs many graduates would likely seek. Indeed since 2002 these states have all enjoyed far greater growth rates in high-tech employment than California, Illinois, Michigan or New York. They also have added more new tech jobs in actual numbers than California–despite their significantly smaller size.
Migration patterns are also changing among college-educated workers. Between 2005 and 2007, Texas, Virginia and North Carolina already enjoy higher rates per capita of net migration of educated workers between the ages of 22 and 39 than California, New York or Massachusetts.
This advantage could expand as the upcoming states increase their educational offerings along with employment opportunities. Students may end up tempted to attend schools closer to where there is job growth. Unlike Austin and Raleigh-Durham, which have rapidly expanded tech employment, Silicon Valley has produced virtually no new net tech jobs for the past decade.
The second impact may be more subtle, as declining revenues from businesses and individuals reduces the opportunity to boost education spending. As the country stumbles into this recovery, the greatest advantage will fall not only to states with the most natural resources, but those with the best-educated human resources. For a half century this is a game that states like California have played to perfection, but it is one in which other places are likely to catch up, and perhaps even pass. The long-term implications for the nation’s economic geography could prove profound.
Joel Kotkin is executive editor of NewGeography.com and is a distinguished presidential fellow in urban futures at Chapman University. He is author of The City: A Global History
Comments
26 responses to “Education Wars: The New Battle For Brains”
My opinion is that companies should be looking for social justice students and try to create marketing strategies that take into consideration the fact that people do not have that much money to spend as they once did.
You can also expect to take multiple courses about the field of online learning itself. This can come in very handy should you ever decide to teach classes online. Also, it is important to note that some school divisions require teachers to teach homebound students through online mediums.
editing services
This is indeed an attractive article. I agree with you that the top students opt for public institutions due to debt crisis. I would like to appreciate you for the effort you have taken to collect the relevant information regarding the topic.
social media optimization
By these, we may know who really stands to have the greatest mind. You can start the brain challenge by writing essays using the right essay format and essay outline.
The way globalization has influenced trade barriers and communications among countries has in turn habituated the way educators educate. Corporations have targeted schools and colleges and have turned to them in order to help with expansion. Custom theses
I think that people should start lookinf for a rewarding career because by enjoying what you are doing you can achieve greatness and that would be something that everybody wants right?
The major role worthy for higher-education-driven maturation has been Calif.. The Gilded State’s know direction for breeding http://www.realexamguide.com/N10-004.html
On the other hand, the Universities have become bloated. Huge layers of administration, vanity facilities, ever more luxurious dorms have all served to add to cost. Pre-crash, we all read glowing articles about how schools were sprucing up in order to attract students and the teacher.
Try to perform on them and not just substitute type and see if it performs. Every modify usually delivers more perform than just modifying only one factor. all best serials
Most students opt for subsidized type of loan. This type of loan helps those who need money for higher education. Here the interest payment is subsidized. Unlike other loans, the student does not have to pay the interest during his student life.
research paper
Most students opt for subsidized type of loan. This type of loan helps those who need money for higher education. Here the interest payment is subsidized. Unlike other loans, the student does not have to pay the interest during his student life.
research paper
This subject has interested me for quite some time. I have just started researching it on the Internet and found your post to be informative. Thankstitle pix regular fonts
This educational vacuum was filled by relatives, friends, classmates and those that sincerely wanted money at the time. Liberian schools were being taught by high school drop outs, colleges were being taught at the time by college students or drop outs. http://www.bestcustomwriting.com/essay-writing-service
Really appreciate this wonderful blog that you have provided for us.
assignmentmojo.co.uk reviews
Where fiscal policy has been effective it’s been through “automatic stabilizers”– programs such as social security and unemployment insurance that maintain income levels regardless of current economic conditions. Of course, these programs are not discretionary—they are ongoing programs resistant to manipulation by politicians responding to the immediate political climate.
SEO Services Company
I am very happy to read this article..Thanks for giving us nice info. Fantastic walk-through. I appreciate this post. Useful information shared
wii points for free
I am very happy to read this article..Thanks for giving us nice info. Fantastic walk-through. I appreciate this post. Useful information shared
free psn card
I finally found great post here.I will get back here. I just added your blog to my bookmark sites. thanks.Quality posts is the crucial to invite the visitors to visit the web page, that’s what this web page is providing. http://rebelmouse.com
The actual Article Is Prepared in a really excellent method “and it” entail Numerous Useful details to me. I Treasured What you Have done below. I will be Generally looking for useful details such as this.http://articlesubmission.co/
So beautiful article. I visit this site. It gives me lots of pleasure and interest. It’s a most important post. Please every one visit this site quickly. Thanks
Reviews on Raspberry Ketones |Review on Garcinia Cambogia
review on green coffee extract |review on green coffee bean
friendly to construction on the whole as state and local revenue continues to decline and little demand for commercial or retail facilities, as well as shrinking orders for new custom written essays facilities, puts construction in a perilous zone.
There is perhaps no greater battleground than that of the education arena. He who can educate (or indoctrinate) our children will win not only our children but the original essay topics future. For centuries we have known of the crucial importance of education, especially the relatively new public, or state, education.
I believe I can fly bark collar
Good one, It was definitely an interesting article.
write my essay
This is a good post. This post gives truly quality information. I’m definitely going to look into it. Really very useful tips are provided here. Thank you so much. Keep up the good work. dell laptop batteries
If you are looking for someone to write your assignments here I am telling you about best place to buy college essays, by hiring them you will feel the quality of the work done for you as they provide quality writing materials which will enhance your grades.