The Revolution in Colleges

The New York Times yesterday had an interesting piece, Top Universities Test the Online Appeal of Free. It is clear that the standard university model of expensive ivy-covered campuses, expensive tenured professors with frequent sabbaticals, and $40,000 to $60,000 per year student fees is rapidly becoming obsolete.  It will be interesting to see how this revolution plays out, but it will certainly be better for students, though it may end the cushy life styles of masses of overpaid university administrators and pampered professors.

Thus far these universities haven't figured out how to offer degrees online (at a much lower cost), but that will inevitably come, because if they don't, companies will begin accepting proof of course completion as equivalent to a degree, and colleges will be out of a job. If a bright, competent Indian or Chinese or Bangladesh student shows up in Silicon Valley having trained themselves online with these courses and can program like a wizard, who is going to care if she/he has a paper degree from a US college?