U.S. losing global grad race?

U.S. losing global grad race?
By Jane Stancill (McClatchy-Tribune News Service - 3.8.07)

RALEIGH, N.C. — The nation's colleges and universities need to churn out 37 percent more graduates each year by 2025 if the United States is to compete with the best-performing nations, a new report says.

It is the latest in a series of alarm bells from national organizations that warn that the United States is losing its competitive edge in higher education, which could undermine the country's economic and social future. At the same time, costs are rising, students are paying higher prices and, some studies suggest, college graduates' skills are declining.

The United States is falling behind other developed nations in producing higher-education graduates, and the gap will grow to 16 million degrees by 2025, said the report, "Hitting Home: Quality, Cost and Access Challenges Confronting Higher Education Today."

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