College students should find academic bang for their buck

NEW YORK — It is generally true that you get what you pay for, but not necessarily when it comes to higher education.

A new study scheduled for release Monday about the value of a college education, at least when it comes to the basics, has found the opposite to be true in most cases. Forget Harvard, and think Lamar.

Indeed, the Texas university, where tuition runs about $7,000 per year (compared to Harvard's $38,000), earns an "A" to Harvard's "D" based on an analysis of the universities' commitment to core subjects deemed essential to a well-rounded, competitive education.

In other words, Lamar requires courses that Harvard apparently considers of lesser value. These include six of the seven subject areas used in the study to gauge an institution's commitment to general education: composition, literature, foreign language at the intermediate level, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics and natural or physical science.

Harvard has comprehensive requirements for only two of these subjects — composition and science.

The study was conducted by the nonprofit American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) to help parents and students determine where they might get the best bang for their buck. It was timed for release to coincide with U.S. News and World Report's annual evaluation of the "best" colleges and universities, which is based primarily on various statistical data, as well as reputation and prestige.

ACTA focused its efforts on requirements as a measure of what an institution actually delivers. Anne Neal, ACTA president, is quick to point out that the grading system doesn't tell the whole story about an institution but does offer a crucial part that has been missing.

On a user-friendly website, "What Will They Learn?" (www.whatwilltheylearn.com), visitors can compare the major public and private universities in all 50 states. Of the 714 four-year institutions reviewed, more than 60 percent received a "C" or worse for requiring three or fewer of the key subjects. Only 16 received an "A" grade. Among them: Baylor University, City University of New York — Brooklyn College, Texas A&M University, the United States Air Force Academy, the United States Military Academy, the University of Arkansas and St. Thomas Aquinas.

In other findings, public institutions are doing a relatively better job than private schools of ensuring that students receive basic skills and knowledge — and at a considerably lower price. But both public and private universities are failing to ensure that students cover the important subjects, notably economics and U.S. government or history.