The value of higher education: Full-time or part-time?

ABSTRACT

Consideration of the value of higher education is made difficult by problems of definition, the alternative perspectives possible and the need to place any evaluation in a comparative setting. This paper addresses these difficulties by comparing the value (and values) of two alternative forms of higher education, full-time and part-time, in terms of six related themes—demand, access and equity; maturity and adulthood; employment and activity; residence; cost-effectiveness and productivity; flexibility and innovation. It concludes that part-time higher education is seriously undervalued in this country, and that a shift in the balance of provision is required in order to increase the overall value of higher education for most people in most circumstances. A framework for examining the value of higher education alongside alternative activities or investments is then briefly presented.