SCMP | Many Chinese students see the United States as an ideal place for college, despite the current tension between the two economic superpowers.
But
students and their parents need to exercise caution. A stark
demographic drop is coming for US colleges. The US high school
population, which has been declining, will drop significantly by 2026.
This will strain an already financially stressed industry.
Like
any investor, it will be important to look at a school’s current
financial condition and assess how well it is run for future viability.
As a start, here are three areas and specific metrics commonly tracked
by schools.
First,
how good is the college at their core function(s) of teaching and/or
research? If they’re poorly run in key functions, they’re likely to be
poorly run administratively.
Look
at the following for the school overall and by major/college:
graduation rates, retention rates, teaching scores, number of books and
articles published recently, research funding and per cent of external
funding. External funding is a quick measure on how competitive research
and approaches are.
Second,
how effective is the school in getting students to their goal of
discovering a career, getting an advanced degree, or getting a job in
their desired country?
Look
at the percentage of students using career services, satisfaction
rates, and the percentage of students graduating with a job or accepted
to graduate school by major/college. Schools should publish these
numbers so be wary of any place that doesn’t.
