Abstract

A college or university education has become an essential tool for developing critical reasoning skills and knowledge for workers in any industrialized or developed country in the world. Grounded in the foundations set by our nation's forebears, colonists first established mostly private religious colleges, and public and private institutions of higher learning were eventually established in every state of the Union. As the nation became industrialized and then moved toward a high-tech, knowledge-based economy in the latter half of the twentieth century, hard work alone could not guarantee success, and an equal opportunity for the American dream became more dependent on postsecondary education. This development, along with a rapid increase in institutions and opportunities for many to attend institutions of higher learning, forever changed the landscape of preparation for a career in a complex and growing economy. In this paper, we focus on the demand side and the supply side of Colorado's education. This paper focus on the how much demand is in Colorado according to education and how much they are supplying education over there.



Demand and Supply of Education in Colorado

Introduction

Colorado's higher education institutions form another series of social networks throughout the state. Colorado State University, a land-grant institution founded in 1870, was one of the many land-grant colleges created in 1862 through the Morrill Act and confers degrees in over 60 areas of study. The University Denver (DU), located in the downtown region, has the distinction of being the oldest privately run university in the Rocky Mountain region, being founded in 1864. A social network of graduate students is particularly prevalent within DU, as graduate-program students make up over half of the university's total enrollment (Alexander, 76).

The University of Colorado is a network of universities throughout the state, with campuses in Denver, Colorado Springs, and the flagship campus in Boulder, established in 1876. The University of Colorado at Boulder is particularly notable as the home of the University of Colorado Law School. Colorado Springs is also home to the Colorado Air Force Academy, bringing with it another unique, military-based social network, as the academy functions simultaneously as both a military organization and a university. Portions of the academy are designed in line with traditional Air Force specifications, while the dean of faculty and cadet wings of the campus are set up more in line with a civilian university, offering two connected but diverse social networks in one setting. The Colorado School of Mines is also well known for its small but well-networked array of alumni.

Research Problem

Clearly, over the past 40 years Colorado has lost ground when competing with other states' public colleges and universities for public resources to operate institutions, hire faculty, and develop programs and operations that are appealing to students and employers. Colorado's colleges and universities must compete for accomplished faculty and outstanding students with other institutions, both public and private, in order to offer quality academic programs and learning experiences that are comparable to educational opportunities offered at competing schools.

Simply stated, Colorado's colleges and ...