A recent Time mag articl

[Jim Franklin]

had a topic of how colleges are changing with all of the computerized programming of courses. Some project that campuses will be a thing of the past where all the programmed coursework is streamed from an office building. Then will the future folks become a mass of social misfits because they have not had an on campus experience? One interesting fact that I picked up on showed that those who don't finish high school on average can expect a lifetime income of approximately $1 million with high school graduates making much more and more yet with some college and graduate sums higher and higher at each level on up to several million upon completing professional or doctoral levels of education. Here I sit with a masters degree with most of a doctorate waiting for that first million or even half that. Education is not an insurance policy for mucho bucks.

[Billy Cox]

had a topic of how colleges are changing with all of the computerized programming of courses. Some project that campuses will be a thing of the past where all the programmed coursework is streamed from an office building. Then will the future folks become a mass of social misfits because they have not had an on campus experience? One interesting fact that I picked up on showed that those who don't finish high school on average can expect a lifetime income of approximately $1 million with high school graduates making much more and more yet with some college and graduate sums higher and higher at each level on up to several million upon completing professional or doctoral levels of education. Here I sit with a masters degree with most of a doctorate waiting for that first million or even half that. Education is not an insurance policy for mucho bucks.

Jim, I subscribe to Time and have skimmed the article. I don't think they are predicting the demise of on-campus education, but are commenting on the emergence of off-campus online education as a way to broaden access to a college education. The growth of the non-traditional student who may be well older than the 18-22 set, who may or may not participate in campus life, represents a major change for existing colleges.

With regard to average income levels, the numbers are...well, averages. There are plenty of reasons why someone with a degree might make far less (or far more) than the averages. A degree may not guarantee a particular income level, but it does open doors that would otherwise be closed.

[Jim Franklin]

Billy, I was projecting the posibilities from the bases that were presented.