We Can’t Tolerate Bad College Programs Anymore - Commentary

Michael B. Horn, author of several books on education, including Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life, and teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, writes: In our current system of higher education, we pay for what we get. Because the government underwrites significant portions of the higher-education system, it means that students and families are not the only “customers” of colleges. Taxpayers are as well. There’s a saying in efficient markets for goods and services: The customer is always right. What they demand is ultimately met. If Apple doesn’t offer an iPhone that delivers value, customers look elsewhere, and Apple has a choice: improve or wither.