An immodest higher-ed proposal

Most of us can agree that a college education is more important than ever as Americans compete in an increasingly challenging global marketplace.

But one of the great blank checks of our time is being written, over and over and over, with no money-back guarantee. Students, parents and taxpayers pour vast fortunes into higher education without holding higher education fully accountable for results. What assurance or even modest indication do our students have that after investing years of their lives and so much money, a good job is waiting for them?

The academic enigma is more maddening because college costs aren't going down to compensate for the uncertainty those pieces of parchment produce. In fact, it's exactly the opposite.

Over the past 30 years, the consumer price index has increased 115 percent, according to Forbes magazine. In the same time, the college education inflation rate has skyrocketed almost 500 percent. Where's the accountability that should at least help mitigate the impact of those runaway costs?

It might be just around the corner. Leaders in business have suggested that colleges and public universities should be required to conspicuously report the entry-level pay of their graduates by major or certification. Whether it's a community college or a four-year public university - and every college within each university - a thorough accounting of entry-level pay per major would tell a substantial story.

For one, it would give prospective students a reasonable idea of what they might earn with that awesome history or accounting degree from that particular institution. For another, parents and students could compare higher ed options, institution by institution and major by major, in determining where their sizable investment might earn the best return.

Yes, this would create additional work. Collecting the data reliably - from both the graduates and the institutions - would be a challenge, but don't taxpayers, students and their parents deserve at least that much? If the institutions aren't preparing students to make a good living, what are they doing? And if the students haven't begun to think about actually working someday, maybe they should before digging a deep hole of debt.

There's talk of forcing this data accumulation and reporting requirement legislatively, perhaps tying it to state funding. We favor that only as a last resort. Far better would be Idaho colleges and universities standing up, taking responsibility and rapidly putting these reporting processes into place on their own initiative. The real quality of Idaho education would at last be somewhat measurable.

And if the Vandals can't beat Boise State on the football field, maybe they can kick booty on the career ladder. Just prove it by keeping score.