The Familiar but Curious Economics of Higher Education: Introduction to a Symposium

Despite the involvement of two-thirds of economists in it, the higher education industry remains incompletely understood. Among the topics related to higher education that invite further research are the rapid increase in college costs, the interaction of tenure and the end of mandatory retirement, and the effects of college enrollment on income inequality. Data from surveys of freshmen suggests that the gap in socioeconomic status between students in private universities and other young people has grown over time.