What's Happening to Public Higher Education?

At the start of the 21st century, public higher education appears to be in a state of crisis. The share of state funding going to education has declined during the last 20 years, as has the share of state education funding going to higher education. Reductions in tax rates in many states have led to structural deficits in state government budgets and the economic downturn that started at the turn of the century has led many states to cut their real state appropriations per student at public higher education institutions. Ehrenberg's research indicates that, as a result of these changes, during the last 5 years, faculty salaries at public doctoral institutions have declined relative to faculty salaries at private doctoral institutions. This undoubtedly make it more difficult for the publics to attract high quality faculty, and turnover rates of associate professors are higher at public doctoral level institutions that at privates.