USA - A Survey of Core Requirements at Our Nation's Colleges and Universities

What Will They Learn? 2014-15

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni today released the sixth edition of the What Will They Learn? ratings. At a time when 87% of employers believe that our colleges must raise the quality of students' educations in order for the United States to remain competitive globally, and four in five Americans say they believe all graduates should have to take the key courses outlined in the study, few colleges require a real liberal arts education. The report and the companion website,WhatWillTheyLearn.com, detail whether each school requires literature, U.S. government or history, foreign language, mathematics, economics, science, and composition. ACTA assigns each school a letter grade, and notes explain the grades assigned and noteworthy programs within schools.

SELECTED FINDINGS

Executive Summary

A college education is rightly part of the American Dream. It is seen as the ticket to success in career and community, a credential that repays the investment of time and money in higher education that students, families, and taxpayers make. It is a major goal for our nation, too, which depends on an educated workforce and educated citizenry. But what does a college degree actually mean? Continue Reading>>

Video: College in Crisis: What's Wrong with Higher Education?

This video synopsis of the What Will They Learn? study of core curricula at more than 1,000 colleges and universities across the country reveals information every student, parent, or alumnus should know.The quality of education is going down, but tuition costs are going way up! How does your school fare? Watch the Video>>

PRESS

Study Finds Many Colleges Don’t Require Core Subjects Like History, Government
Wall Street Journal
October 15, 2014 by Douglas Belkin |

A majority of U.S. college graduates don’t know the length of a congressional term, what the Emancipation Proclamation was, or which Revolutionary War general led the American troops at Yorktown.… Continue Reading >>

Study: Colleges failing to teach students basic information
Washington Examiner
October 15, 2014 by Ashe Schow |

While politicians bicker over how and whether college students should consent to sex, the problem remains that those same students aren’t learning much in their colleges and universities.… Continue Reading >>