Learning for learning's sake - monetary devaluation of college degrees - Editorial

American Demographics, Jan, 1997 by Diane Crispell

Knowledge is power, but only when someone else wants it. Yet those who toil in learned obscurity without fame or fortune may agree with Helen Keller, who said that "knowledge is happiness."

At some point, we began to measure the worth of an education solely in terms of its financial benefit (see "Big Brains, No Gains" on page 42). Education became the ticket to a better job - that is, one that pays more. We are constantly weighing the monetary pluses and minuses of taking out student loans, sending children to private versus public schools, spending more years in school. Is it worth it in the long run, we ask? Do we get our money's worth?

The stakes are constantly being raised, too. High school diplomas are now so commonplace that they convey little advantage in the workplace. In effect, they've become the minimum requirement. The same thing could conceivably happen to college degrees. If everyone had them, how much would they be worth? In dollar terms, less. In cultural terms, though, a great deal. As college education and continuing adult education gradually become ubiquitous parts of the American lifestyle, the society as a whole makes more room for learning, and that's worth something in itself.

The mere existence of those who pursue obscure fields of study benefits the larger society because they keep these disciplines alive. Those who ultimately become artists, classicists, dancers, musicians, novelists, philosophers, and poets provide the material content. Those who pursue culture on a more avocational basis become the audience. Surveys conducted for the National Endowment for the Arts confirm that college-educated people are the most ardent fans of many art forms, and that their numbers are growing.

Professionals and enthusiasts alike then spread the word to the next generation of arts supporters. Without performers who've spent years in formal training and parents who appreciate the arts, thousands of children wouldn't have seen the many live performances of "The Nutcracker Suite" ballet that took place last month.

People who take on years of graduate study and thousands of dollars in debt are as entitled as anyone else to their hopes of fame and riches. At the least, they deserve to earn a decent living, considering what they add to our quality of life. On the other hand, it's impossible to place a dollar value on the pleasure of playing classical music for a small child and hearing: "I like this song, Mommy."

I have a friend who earned a Ph. D. in the sort of obscure humanities field that people dearly don't go into for the money. Not that she doesn't appreciate a steady paycheck like the rest of us. But the real reason she became Dr. Jones was because she had a true vocation for the field. As long as people like her are compelled to pursue knowledge, they will help offset the declining financial value of advanced degrees. One good thing could come out of the monetary devaluation of a college education. It could recover some of its lost intellectual value.