When it comes to higher education, people from around the world used to flock to American schools. Why? The reason was simple – the educational opportunities available in the United States were once considered to be the best in the world. Unfortunately, this reputation is no longer holding true. This reality is becoming even truer as the recession has forced many states to pass down huge budget cuts, which has had an adverse affect on the American educational system.

Of course, the facts that for-profit colleges have been far more effective at marketing their programs and that foreign schools are becoming more competitive has also had an adverse affect on the success of higher learning institutions in the United States. So, what can our institutions of higher learning do to improve this unfortunate situation? The New York Times came up with some interesting suggestions. Here’s a look at a few.

Increase Age Requirements

According to the New York Times article, 26 states currently require students to stay in school until they are 16. The remaining states require students to stay in school until they are 17 or 18, but the New York Times article suggests raising this requirement to 19 in every state. The article isn’t suggesting them remain in high school, however. Rather, it is suggesting that all students receive one year of post-secondary education. This way, they will be better prepared to compete for jobs even if they don’t decide to continue down the post-secondary path.

Even President Obama seems to agree with this idea, having said “I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training.” He also mentioned the possibility of compulsory post-secondary education, saying that it would likely take place in a “community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship.”

Reduce Truancy

Truancy is also a problem within our public school system, with the New York Times reporting that approximately 30% of students in New York schools are absent for a month’s worth of school time each year. To help curb truancy, which will ultimately help reduce the number of drop-outs, the New York Times article suggests having truant officers apply more pressure on students who are not attending classes. This includes visiting the students’ homes on a regular basis and getting the students and their parents to submit to written commitments to attend school.

Improve Advertising

The New York Times article also encourages our colleges and universities to get more creative when it comes to advertising their programs. As the article pointed out, the University of Phoenix spent $278 million on advertising in 2007 and was one of the main sponsors for Super Bowl XLII. Now, the university has more students than most state universities.

Focus on Education

Finally, the New York Times article suggests working on improving the quality of education before students reach the post-secondary level. By increasing the level of education of the students before they reach the post-secondary level, colleges can spend less time getting students to the levels they need to be at and can spend more time pushing them to the next level. In this way, our colleges and universities can once again enjoy the respect the worldwide respect they once enjoyed.