Are Too Many People Going To College

In the reading “Are Too Many People Going to College?” first published in 2008, Charles Murray argues that while the need and idea of going to college and getting a B.A. is becoming increasingly more important, not everyone needs a college education. Murray believes that any student that has already graduated from high school has already, in a sense, obtained a college education. He points out that by the time students finishes eighth grade, they should already have learned all the “core knowledge” they need to know (236). By the time they get to high school, students should be focusing more on the liberal aspect of education by taking courses in the “humanities, social sciences, and sciences” where they are “taught at a level below the demand …show more content…
He reasons that if said student is high in the standings in terms of their academic ability, they should be obtaining a college education (238). He believes that the odds that this student will “enjoy” what is being taught is greater because this student is able to handle the materials (239). He argues that a student who does not enjoy “the hardest aspects of college” is more likely to be interested in going to a vocational school where what they teach “pertains to” the student’s “career interests” (240). Going to college is, according to Murray, a waste of time for many, as most occupations do not require such amounts of knowledge …show more content…
In his arguments, Ungar points out that while many believe a “liberal-arts degree is a luxury,” it is not (227). It may indeed be true that pursuing such a degree is more expensive and that families are struggling financially, but Ungar argues that it “a better investment” as it teaches the students how to communicate in an effective way and how to be critical thinkers which allows for them to be “innovative and creative” (227-228). He then supports this by making a claim based off a survey in 2009 that the majority of the employers are indeed looking for those with a liberal arts education instead due to them possessing the abilities already mentioned. Another argument he makes is that one should not just focus on the STEM fields and that one should expand and diversify their learning, which is what a liberal arts education can provide (229). While Ungar admits that while it is possible to gain such an education through a larger university, it does not provide “a close interaction between faculty members and students” and that there isn’t a “sens of community” (232). Ungar believes that such an environment can help students “develop high standards for themselves and others” (232). In Ungard’s view, a liberal arts education, unlike that of a larger university, provides more than just