500. What Exactly Is College For?

We think of them as intellectual enclaves and the surest route to a better life. But U.S. colleges also operate like firms, trying to differentiate their products to win market share and prestige points. In the first episode of a special series, we ask what our chaotic system gets right — and wrong. (Part 1 of “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”)

Episode 500 of the Freakonomics Radio podcast, hosted by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher, titled "500. What Exactly Is College For?" was published on April 21, 2022 and runs 45 minutes.

April 21, 2022 ·45m · Freakonomics Radio

Summary

We think of them as intellectual enclaves and the surest route to a better life. But U.S. colleges also operate like firms, trying to differentiate their products to win market share and prestige points. In the first episode of a special series, we ask what our chaotic system gets right — and wrong. (Part 1 of “Freakonomics Radio Goes Back to School.”)

Episode Description