Economics of Higher Education

Advanced seminar exploring economic research on some provocative current policy questions in U.S. higher education. Topics may include the function of colleges, public subsidies, fairness of college admissions, financial aid as a benefit of the college or the student, whether it is worth paying more to attend a selective college, the influence of competition for prestige on university behavior, and whether college sports teams are consistent with educational values. Most class meetings involve student-led discussion of articles from books, journals, and the popular press. Class attendance and active participation required. Required research paper on a topic related to the class readings. Paper will be integrated into the course, with periodic deadlines for portions of the paper and class discussion of the ongoing research. Prerequisites: Economics 11; or Economics 16 and Economics 13 (or Economics 14).