While many consider America a leader in higher education and research around the world, a new study by the Education Policy Institute says the United States lags behind many nations in both affordability and accessibility.
The Global Higher Education Rankings 2005 study is meant to explore the affordability and accessibility of higher education among 15 countries by analyzing student costs, resources and opportunities, according to a release.
Sweden and the Netherlands were at the top for affordability and accessibility, while the United States earned the 13th spot for affordability and the 4th spot for accessibility.
According to Alex Usher, the study’s lead author and vice-president of the EPI, evidence from the study indicates that although many think education in the United States is difficult to afford, countries without tuition are not far behind because of relative national incomes and student aid programs.
“We’ve put together some solid numbers,” Usher said. “We have made some provocative statements but well justified of what constitutes affordability and accessibility.”
However, Usher stated tuition in America was considerably higher than most other countries. Still, Usher noted out-of-pocket costs added up considerably for international students regardless of tuition.
“Most countries do it by keeping [tuition] low or at zero,” Usher said. “Arguably, it’s not a very efficient strategy.”
The American system of funding public education, in which wealthier students must often pay more for education while less wealthy students pay less, is different from many other countries.
“In effect we’re saying American students are paying less than the French who have no tuition,” Usher said.
Usher added the study included private universities to make a more credible case for the affordability of American education.
“Some people would have said we shouldn’t have included [private universities] … it just wouldn’t be credible,” Usher said. “But trust me, the Americans would have looked a lot better if I excluded private [universities].”
However, many agree that the American policy towards higher education could be better fashioned to allow for greater accessibility and affordability.
University of Wisconsin dean of the College of Letters and Science Gary Sandefur said the American philosophy on education is not correct. Sandefur argued many United States politicians and opinion leaders believe those who benefit most from public higher education were those individuals who received it and thus should be willing to invest more.
“They don’t really see it as much of a public good as countries like Sweden might. Educating people is something that benefits the entire society,” Sandefur said.
Sandefur added the implications of providing public higher education for all individuals of a society could have far-reaching results.
“Having a really strong university and having a highly educated workforce has real benefits for the state and for the country,” Sandefur said. “I think there are good arguments one can make that pay off in the long run.”
