The Shaping of Higher Education: The Formative Years in the United States, 1890 to 1940

Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz

Journal of Economic Perspectives, 1999, vol. 13, issue 1, 37-62

Abstract: The authors trace the origins of the key features of U.S. higher education today--the coexistence of small liberal arts colleges and large research universities; the substantial share of enrollment in the public sector; and varying levels of support provided by the states. These features began to materialize soon after 1890 when the 'knowledge industry' was subjected to 'technological shocks' that increased the value of research to industry and government and led to the proliferation of academic disciplines. The consequence was an increase in the scale and scope of institutions of higher education and a relative expansion of public-sector institutions.

JEL-codes: I21 N31 N32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1999
Note: DOI: 10.1257/jep.13.1.37
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (72)

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Related works:
Working Paper: The Shaping of Higher Education: The Formative Years in the United States, 1890 to 1940 (1999)
Working Paper: The Shaping of Higher Education: The Formative Years in the United States, 1890 to 1940 (1998)
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