In this era of uncertainty, many parents view highly-selective colleges as the best bet for their student’s futures. In his new book just out this month, Future U co-host Jeff Selingo challenges that assumption. For this episode, Jeff moves from the host chair to being a guest to share highlights from the book, ‘Dream School.’ He talks about going beyond which college’s name looks most impressive as a bumper sticker on the family car to focusing on the quality of a college’s teaching, whether it really fits the budget, and other factors that are specific to each student. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group.Relevant Links:Jeff Selingo’s new book, Dream SchoolChapters0:00 - Intro2:06 - Why write this book?3:23 - The ‘New Dream School’ List11:28 - When Mismatched Schools Cause Dropouts14:26 - Sponsor Break16:51 - The Importance of Making Trade-offs18:44 - Understanding What’s Motivating Choice19:35 - How AI is Impacting Jobs and Causing Uncertainty About College20:56 - What Should Colleges Do?23:23 - Giving Families ‘Social Proof’ of a Broader Group of College25:29 - The Doom Loop of College Finances27:56 - How Future U Shaped the Book29:14 - How Jeff Gets the Word Out on His BookConnect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for YouSign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedInConnect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.
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32:14
No Relaxing Summer for Higher Ed
This summer brought no rest for college leaders. With the Trump Administration’s continuing push to reshape the college world, plus lots of announcements in Artificial Intelligence, there are many higher ed headlines to recap. So Jeff and Michael kick off season 9 with their take on the most important developments of the past couple of months. That includes Columbia University’s unprecedented settlement with the federal government, a new executive order on college admissions, and college trustees pushing for action on AI. And they unveil a new ‘speed round’ segment. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group. Publications Mentioned:The Elite University Presidents Who Despise One Another: Inside the civil war between the Ivy League and the South in The AtlanticGreat Expectations, Fragile Foundations in On EdTech Chapters1:36 - Our Summer Recap4:09 - Behind the Scenes of Jeff’s Book Launch8:10 - Meet the Future U Production Team12:18 - Columbia University Settlement21:00 - Trump’s Executive Order on Admissions30:00 - What College Business Officers Are Talking About34:15 - One Big Beautiful Bill’s Impact39:30 - New ‘Lightning Round’ Segment Connect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for YouSign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedIn Connect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.
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46:56
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46:56
Rerun: Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige?
Jeff and Michael are joined by Mushtaq Gunja, Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and Senior Vice President at ACE, to unpack the sweeping changes to the Carnegie Classifications. They explore how the new system aims to better group institutions, highlight student access and earnings, and shift incentives across funding, accountability, and rankings. The conversation dives into the implications for colleges chasing R1 status, the normative power of classifications, and whether these changes will meaningfully alter institutional behavior or simply create a new hierarchy. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education Group and the Gates Foundation.Links We Mention2025 Institutional Classifications, Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education2025 Research Activity Designations, Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher EducationChapters0:00 - Intro05:50 - The Changing Higher Ed Landscape08:06 - The Impact of the New Classifications10:42 - Anticipating the Normative Effects16:55 - New Funding Criteria18:13 - Shifting to a Focus on Outcomes21:17 - Measuring Access and Earnings24:53 - Encouraging Good Use of the New Classifications34:24 - Considering the Impact on Research Dollars40:28 - Institutional Response to Access and Earnings Designations46:30 - What This Means for RankingsConnect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedInConnect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.
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51:30
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51:30
Rerun: Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model
The U.S. has a lot to learn when it comes to systematizing apprenticeship. Thankfully, there are successful international models, like Switzerland’s, that we can study. Katie Caves, the Director at Switzerland’s Center on the Economics and Management of Education and Training Systems, joins the podcast to discuss the Swiss model and what can be gleaned from it. They discuss its permeability between academic and vocational tracks, proving its value to employers, the prestige of Swiss apprenticeships, and the principles that hold across borders. This episode is made with support from Ascendium Education GroupPublications Mentioned:Return on investment of apprenticeship systems for enterprises: Evidence from cost-benefit analysesby Samuel Muehlemann & Stefan C WolterChapters0:00 - Intro3:35 - Swiss Apprenticeship 1016:56 - Path Selection and Funding13:46 - The Status of Apprenticeship in Switzerland18:58 - Borrowing Across Borders25:15 - The ROI to Employers29:47 - Evaluating Indiana’s Apprenticeship Model33:45 - Imbuing Prestige in American Apprenticeship38:49 - Striking the Balance43:01 - The Influence of AccountabilityConnect with Michael Horn:Sign Up for the The Future of Education NewsletterWebsiteLinkedInX (Twitter)Threads Connect with Jeff Selingo:Sign Up for the Next NewsletterWebsiteX (Twitter)ThreadsLinkedInConnect with Future U:TwitterYouTubeThreadsInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Submit a question and if we answer it on air we'll send you Future U. swag!Sign up for Future U. emails to get special updates and behind-the-scenes content.
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48:04
Rerun: Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges
What does a community college in Idaho have to do with mounting economic tensions between the U.S. and China? A lot, actually. On this episode of Future U., Michael and Jeff dive into what the CHIPS and Science Act—the federal spending package designed to reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign manufacturers for microchips and other advanced technologies—means for a segment of American postsecondary institutions that’s often forgotten in these conversations: community colleges. They talk with nonprofit and government leaders about how the CHIPS supports the education and training of a high tech workforce. They then go deep with the team at the College of Western Idaho to get a view of how they are developing these programs in collaboration with their corporate partner, Micron. This episode is sponsored by Ascendium Education Group.
Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn discuss what’s next for higher education and talk with the newsmakers you want to hear from most. Find the latest news and insights into the current trends in higher ed on the Future U. Podcast.
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