Deploying faculty efficiently (or more efficiently) should surely part of any optimizing strategy on the part of a college or university. Basic microeconomics about the "theory of the firm" provide some insight as to how a university would achieve productive efficiency given differences in the...

Criticizes empirical research that measures the effectiveness of state and local development and tax policy in terms of employment, business starts, and new branches. Argues that changes in the level and distribution of economic welfare are a better measurement.

Most students attending colleges and universities, in the U.S. and the rest of the world, attend public institutions. This is a bit of a puzzle for economists, as it is clear that higher education provides private benefits to those who acquire it. This paper evaluates a number of arguments for...