What does college look like in 10...20 years?

[freeloader]

There are some really good thoughts in this thread, some I think are likely, some less so, but a couple of things that haven't been mentioned that I, personally think are very likely (2 good, I think; 1 bad):

1. Expansion of community college degree offerings. Community colleges are opening up more and more bachelor's programs (and at least one now has a master's program). I see no reason why this won't continue and accelerate. Community colleges, by their reliance on more adjuncts and with (typically) less investment in facilities, athletics, amenities, and research budgets can offer education much more cheaply than 4-year schools. Not that long ago, most states had 1 or 2 universities and a number of state colleges and teachers' colleges. In the last 50 years or so, many (most?) of these institutions have become universities with all that entails (facilities, athletics, amenities, research, etc). They have abdicated the space that they previously occupied as providers of cheap, accessible education. The community colleges have inherited that space. So long as community colleges do not decide, individually or collectively, to go the same route as the state colleges/teachers' colleges, they will only see their importance and reach grow.

2. Expansion of degree completion programs. I know the Big 3 have moved away from the old model of degree completion by requiring more classes at their schools, more specific types of classes, etc., but I think there will be a lot of pressure for degree completion programs, maybe like the West Virginia Regents' degrees. If it isn't already the case, the typical person in their 20s in coming years who didn't go the "traditional" college route, will likely have a hodge-podge of college credits--dual enrollment, AP, credits earned through programs provided by their employers, etc. As more and more "unused" credits pile up on peoples' transcripts, I suspect there will be both a desire amongst politicians and even universities to provide a mechanism for students to consolidate that learning into a degree.

3. I think degree creep -or- the cheapening of degrees will only intensify. People will want ever higher-level degrees to differentiate themselves AND, critically, colleges and universities will continue peddling more and more of those degrees as a mechanism to remain viable. Schools will innovate or die, it is true, but what does that innovation look like? Online and hybrid programs, absolutely. CBE, probably. Master's and doctoral degrees, 1000x yes! I had a friend who was pursuing an English PhD who joked that the standard master's degree for social sciences and humanities should be changed to an MS, not for master of science, but "manage store" since that's what most of the graduates eventually do. Perhaps in the not too distant future the greater at Walmart will need a PhD... people helper degree.