In my graduate class last night, a student put me on the spot by asking what I thought the future of higher education would look like. More specifically, he wanted to know how I thought the “bubble will pop.”

In having to take a definite stand, I realized that what I want to happen and what I think will happen are not the same. In my reply, I borrowed a phrase I first heard from financial expert John Maudlin – I think that higher education will continue to “muddle through” the near future while other options to traditional college try to take hold, but ultimately, the muscle behind the push for four-year degrees will still be too strong, leaving the current system very much intact, but very flawed. Still, I noted that even if change is slow, that feet dragging should not stop individuals from bringing other paths to the table for 18-year-olds.

We have many bright minds that contribute to this blog. What do you think? Will there be a hard and fast pop, or will reform come gradually (or at all)?