ABSTRACT
Higher education is a hot topic in the US: newspapers such as The New York Times 1 devote long articles in weekend supplements to the rising costs, the sharply rising levels of student debt, and, above all, access to higher education. In June 2015, readers were even invited to estimate what percentage of each income category of the population had access to university at that time. A few days later, the newspaper published the results, which showed that many readers – according to their answers – were unduly pessimistic about reality; of the very lowest income categories, 15% had access, whilst the majority of readers had estimated 0%! That estimate alone was already revealing… The somewhat more positive picture was spoiled, however, when the newspaper added that whilst 15% had been admitted, the percentage of drop-outs in this group was extremely high, much higher than among students from better social backgrounds. The New York Times thus concluded that social background is winning over talent: to be poor and talented is clearly not a successful combination in the American system.
