Quote from flipside21:
1 in 2 new graduates are jobless or underemployed
http://news.yahoo.com/1-2-graduates-jobless-underemployed-140300522.html
WASHINGTON (AP) â The college class of 2012 is in for a rude welcome to the world of work.
A weak labor market already has left half of young college graduates either jobless or underemployed in positions that don't fully use their skills and knowledge.
...
"Everyone is always telling you, 'Go to college,'" Edwards said. "But when you graduate, it's kind of an empty cliff."
I think one of the biggest problems is, there are three views of college.
1) Parents and some kids who think it is sort of like white collar job training. Or, if not training, the only resume padding needed to get a "good career".
2) People who work at colleges who view it more as advanced learning. Classics. Scientific Research. They aren't interested in C++, cash flow statements, bloomberg terminals, etc.
3) And of course a lot of kids who just think it is what you do when you turn 18. A sort of slow easing from living with parents to living on your own.
The problem with #1 is, if that's what you want you have to fight to get it because #2 doesn't really want to give it to you and #3 is making sure there's no way for anyone to tell the difference between kids that try and kids that don't.
The other problem with #1 is, times like these when you get out of school and that "good career" isn't there. If instead of college being designed for #1 (as it more and more is, but badly), if it were more the old-time #2 college, we might find that although the typical suit-and-tie career paths aren't there, well-rounded graduates who have original ideas and something to contribute to the world were coming out and, if they can't get a job at Google etc, instead of working retail they are trying their own ventures (maybe not businesses if Romney's dad won't help, but there are many things they could do).
Anyway, the point is, there should be 3 different names for each of those institutions because then each could do a better job at providing what the 3 different customers want. My guess is, as time goes on, this will happen as there will be very few of #2, the large-state schools will be #3 and the internet will become the provider of #1 (which will largely be "computer operator/programmer" or sales).