History of US Higher Education

18 Jan, 2012Edu in the News, Featured

Higher education in the United States began during colonial times and has changed in many significant ways since its beginnings. Formerly available only to the elite, and primarily concerned with preparing young men to become clergy, the system of formal higher education in the U.S. is now available to all classes of people, and can help prepare students for a wide variety of careers.

In the early part of the twentieth century college education began to distance itself from the training of clergy and became relevant more to life “in the world.” Training for specialized jobs and vocations replaced the old focus as universities and industries collaborated to produce a ready work force. Studies in what is now known as a liberal arts curriculum were designed to provide a broad background in a wide sampling of educational disciplines, a stark difference from the classicist model that it replaced. Today, there are certain universities and private colleges that cater to very specific training needs while maintaining their link to the liberal arts format of the 1950s. The result is a diversified student population prepared to join the work force in any number of roles. Education history was featured prominently on direct tv history channels in January, and many of the televised documentaries are still available for viewing.

Here is one interesting infographic I discovered while researching this topic today that outlines the history of higher education in the United States.