| Things to think about New
Jersey has some of the preeminent universities in the world.
Two of them, Rutgers and Princeton, predate the state of New
Jersey.
More
than 1/3 of New Jersey first-time freshman go to college outside
New Jersey. We are the highest net exporter of students.
There
is a shortage of lawyers, doctors, and other highly educated
people choosing to work in the public sector for lower salaries.
This is due in part to the high cost of their education.
|
Importance
College
education increases our earnings, expands our horizons, generates
more opportunities, and supplies our industries and government
with more capable workers. Some of us take it for granted that
we and our children will go to a college or university. Others
see this opportunity as beyond reach. This indicator reflects
our state’s capacity to accept new students for higher education.
College enrollment per capita has risen in New Jersey since
1965, but has remained relatively stable since 1975.
Economic
New
Jerseyans who have been to college earn more than those of us
who have not. They also have a wider range of job opportunities
and more job security. Some of our most dynamic industries,
such as high technology and pharmaceuticals, depend very heavily
on workers who have a college education and even advanced degrees.
These companies choose to locate in places where the market
offers such workers.
Environmental
Solutions
to our environmental problems will come from knowledgeable innovators
who make advances in science, economics, management, and other
areas with the help of a college education. College expands
our horizons and helps us to see issues and connections, such
as those between economic, social, and environmental issues.
Social
College can provide thinking
and evaluation skills that help us make the best decisions for
our communities and ourselves. To live and work effectively
we need to be as knowledgeable as possible about our economy,
society, and environment.
Knowledge
Gaps
Enrollment does not
tell us how many opportunities exist for New Jerseyans to go
to college. Opportunities are created through access to a good
elementary and secondary school education and through resources
given to institutions of higher education. Knowing how many
of us enroll in college does not tell us about the quality of
the education that we receive.
Data
Source: NJ Commission on Higher Education
|
