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Originally Posted by NWguy
Aren't we #1 in college education? Not sure if that's worth bragging about, but I do believe US is the top choice for foreign students to further their education.
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Probably at the Ivy level, yes--at least in terms of prestige, who knows about actual educational attainment? Comparing U.S. educational attainment with other countries becomes very problematic very quickly.
Let's just start at accessibility. We have such a laissez-faire approach to education here. We've allowed the proliferation of fly-by-night for-profit colleges, our bachelors degrees have become watered down and costs to students have soared and access to lower-income students isn't improving.
The Sanders campaign has made some excellent points regarding education. I think we'd do well to join much of the developed world and fully funding higher education. Massive student loans cripple students upon graduation and delay or deny them the opportunity to start families, buy houses, nice cars, etc.--activities which grow the economy.
I think most international students come here for American language and cultural immersion--not necessarily because of the quality of our academics. Ivies and high-end schools excepted.