Lumina Foundation is working to increase the share of adults in the U.S. labor force with college degrees or other credentials of value leading to economic prosperity.
For some students, enrolling in college can feel like a gamble due to the high cost and lack of a clear career at the end of the program. But more colleges and universities are guaranteeing students will land a job or graduate program slot within months of graduation.
The trend indicates a growing awareness among higher education institutions of their responsibility to provide students with career-development opportunities, as well as their recognition that a lack of institutional support can impact a college’s perceived value.
The United States will need more than five million additional workers who have at least some postsecondary education by 2032, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Of that total, 4.5 million will need at least a bachelor’s degree. Degree-requiring positions facing “critical skills shortages” include nurses, teachers, and engineers, the report notes.
Without intervention, the shortfall in skilled labor would be spurred by retirements outpacing similarly qualified workers entering the labor force and the creation of almost 700,000 new jobs requiring postsecondary education.
The onslaught of artificial intelligence into higher education has been especially worrisome for college admissions officers: Are the students they admit chatbots in disguise? According to one 2024 survey, as many as one in three high school seniors applying to college in the 2023-24 school year used AI for their essays.
In response, some colleges are inviting applicants to submit a “video introduction” of themselves. Proponents argue that video submissions are a cheat-proof antidote to the rising scourge of AI-written essays. Others, however, say video college applications may give wealthy applicants another leg up over less-affluent peers, especially when videos are slickly produced and the applicants well-scripted.
The slaying of Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, on the public campus of Utah Valley University, raises questions about colleges’ ability—and willingness—to host divisive figures at a time of heightened political violence.
If colleges, entrusted with fostering the free exchange of ideas, can’t feature controversial speakers because of safety fears, are they taking a necessary measure or failing to meet their mission?
Ryan Jim wants to become a nurse because he understands health care challenges in rural, Native communities. Growing up, the 20-year-old Fort Lewis College student would help take care of grandparents and regularly drive them to doctor appointments near his home in Fort Defiance, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation reservation.
This semester, Jim began his journey to care for his community as one of 22 Fort Lewis students in the inaugural cohort in the Durango school’s new bachelor’s degree nursing program. The effort is the only bachelor’s degree-level nursing program in the region, and fulfills a vital need to combat a nationwide nursing shortage that’s more pronounced in rural areas.
Higher education faces a critical challenge: too many students are spending too much time and money on degrees that don’t align with their career aspirations or earning potential.
A new report from Complete College America offers insight into solutions by reimagining how institutions can embed career readiness and purpose-driven guidance throughout the entire student journey—from enrollment to alumni engagement.
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