College!

This article summarizes and reports the findings of a study of four trade schools, two in the United States, and two in Europe. These institutions are specialized to certain fields, which the author recognizes as "clusters," because they interact very closely with the companies of their industry from the local area, who help develop and provide funding for the programs. These institutions provide an opportunity for students to gain experience and training in their trade, as most of them provide (or require) opportunities to work while they are in school. After graduation, many students in the United States go on to work for the same companies that they work for in college or other large companies in their industry, while many students in Europe go on to create their own small business. About the Author:  Stuart A. Rosenfeld currently serves as the president of Regional Technology Strategies in Long Hill, North Carolina, and also serves an organization of community and tec...

This article provides a comparison of the history and current standing of the European and American models of higher education. The author describes how European universities came to be first, and while American universities were based heavily on their structure, they were not nearly as successful, with many U.S. institutions at the top of national ratings, leaving their European counterparts behind. After World War II, Europe implemented the Bologna process, which allowed universities to standardize their curriculum and degree programs, making it much easier for students to earn their degrees in just a few years and transfer credits between institutions if they desired to do so, allowing for student mobility. The United States's approach to university has remained successful because of limited government involvement in funding, but with constantly rising tuition, may eventually end up limiting access to education to those with a lower income. The article closes by expanding ou...

My current research question is: Why do many students, American and international, choose to attend American universities when many international colleges have reduced or free tuition? Three Academic Sources      Conti, Annamaria, and Patrick Gaule. “Is the US Outperforming Europe in University Technology Licensing? A New Perspective on the European Paradox.” Research Policy, vol. 40, no. 1, Elsevier B.V, 2011, pp. 123–135.      Gapinski, Andrzej J. "Higher Education: Europe vs. USA." 2010.      Rosenfeld, Stuart A. “Community College/Cluster Connections: Specialization and Competitiveness in the United States and Europe.” Economic Development Quarterly, vol. 14, no. 1, Sage Publications, Feb. 2000, pp. 51–62.

So far, I have decided to continue with my topic focusing on the demographics of college students in the United States and in Europe in comparison with the cost of higher education. I have thought this topic is particularly interesting from the beginning, but even more so since working on the analytical essay, where I have explored the types of students who attend college and receive financial aid in the United States. I have yet to refine this topic into a more specific idea, but I am sure that I will pursue something in this area. My exploration began with a Google search: "college in Europe vs US." This lead me to many results, mostly blog posts from a student's point of view or from college review sites. A search for "higher education in Europe vs US" showed me many more of these blog posts, as well as a research article, which will definitely serve as a great source from academia. After a few more searches, I found that the most useful terms to use were ...

I am thinking about writing my final paper about college in other countries as compared to the United States. During a recent visit to Austria, I learned that tuition is free or very affordable there as well in many other countries, but the attendance there is much lower as high school graduates often choose to go to trade school or enter the workforce. I thought this was very interesting, because in the United States tuition is much higher, and more often than not forces students and their families into debt for many years, but there is so much pressure for high school graduates to attend university. I would particularly like to explore the demographics of students attending universities in both settings.