College graduates' literacy on decline, study says - Literacy specialists and educators say they are stunned by the results of a recent adult literacy assessment, which shows that the reading proficiency of college graduates has declined in the past decade, with no obvious explanation. ''It's appalling -- it's really astounding," said Michael Gorman, president of the American Library Association and a librarian at California State University at Fresno. ''Only 31 percent of college graduates can read a complex book and extrapolate from it. That's not saying much for the remainder." While more Americans are graduating from college, and more than ever are applying for admission, far fewer are... [Free Republic]
In my experience, employers are more frequently looking for higher degrees in prospective employees: Masters, PhDs, etc. However, the quality of even these more highly degreed graduates is still poorer than I would expect from high school graduates. Perhaps more degrees are being sought (by employers in their employees) because they think it'll make up for the morons graduating with four-year degrees. Of course, this is flawed thinking, but employers haven't figured that out yet. The problem won't be solved with more of the same education that cranked out the morons from high school and four-year college programs.
College degrees have gone the way of teacher's certificates, doctor's credentials, and the lawyers' bar exam: they're useless. Any idiot can get one, and apparently more idiots than not do get them. I personally put no stock at all in degrees. Some of the best engineers I know chose not to endure the corrupt university system. Sadly, the otherwise worthless degree is only of value to employers--thus, sometimes it is necessary for employment.
As for my kids, I have no problem whatsoever if they choose (or have chosen) to avoid college and go instead for a real education. They're likely better for it. If a degree were "necessary" for desired employment, an alternative is to get the degree by getting a real education, rather than by going to college (e.g., apprenticeship, essays, etc., for college credit). This choice is well suited for homeschoolers, who are far more likely to know how to learn, know how to seek out an education, and have the virtues to make their degree worth something.
Link to study
http://nces.ed.gov/NAAL/PDF/2006470_1.PDF