I am as big a believer in higher education as anyone, but I have also seen a lot of friends with kids who were not good HS students looking to find a college, any college, who would take their kids ... and I wondered why.

The value of a degree declines significantly the lower you go down the food chain of school rankings - especially if the student won't be in the top 25% of his/her class at the lower tier school. At some point, less than stellar students (and their parents) should really evaluate whether spending six figures is going to make Johnny a wealthier or happier person or just a more educated barista.

So the Western Illinois U's and University of Central Oklahoma's of the world (both cited in the article) are seeing a drop off.

This is not going to impact Top 100 or top 200 schools, and maybe it just shows that people are being realistic about how they spend their money.

Johnny could make a lot more money in many parts of the country (I live in NOVA) and probably be happier in his chosen profession if he received the proper certificates in masonry or plumbing.