For at least a century, attaining a college degree was part of the American dream. For those select few—a proportion that has grown higher as time has gone on—earning a four-year degree has meant a potential jump into a higher socioeconomic class, thanks largely to a dramatic wage differential between those who attain a four-year degree or more and those who earn a high-school degree alone.
Free Inquiry and Expression: From Principles to Educational Practice
Hundreds of colleges and universities have adopted free expression and institutional speech documents from the University of Chicago. In 1899, the University of Chicago faculty unanimously resolved that complete freedom
Leila Brammer
September 7, 2026
