So, in regard to my previous Higher Education post, I happened to come across a fabulous set of data giving the percentage of people over the age of 25 who hold a higher degree of some kind in 132 different countries. Guess who comes in first? There's no competition --- it's Russia.
With over 60% of the 25-and-over population holding a higher degree, it looks almost like Russia is handing out college degrees like candy (especially when compare to the second- and third-place countries in this race, Belarus and Canada, having significantly lower stats of 47.7% and 50.2%, respectively).
If you bothered to check out that graph that I'm referencing, you could see that the United States comes in at 40.7%, which looks pretty mediocre, depending on how you want to interpret all of this data: Other than as a straight-up, Higher-Education pissing contest (a perfectly internet-worthy application of these stats), you can defend these numbers with research to better understand the culture of Higher Education in any one of these countries. I'm going to write about the cultural implications that contribute to this, but you know, since we are on the internet, I'll go ahead and say it: Russia wins!
But seriously, how and why does Russia hold the gold in this competition, especially by so great a margin? Well, I think part of it relates to my previous post explaining the importance of higher education to a Russian's individual identity: When the question "Who are you?" is culturally equivalent to asking about someone's education, it makes sense that over half the population would want to earn a higher degree.
It is definitely worth noting that, as defined for this study, earning a higher degree means "completion of postsecondary education that is theoretically based and prepares students to gain entry into advanced research programs or high-skilled professions, or that provides participants with a labor-market qualification in an occupation or trade." Thus, the high percentage might also be accredited to the post-soviet rollover of higher education programs and institutions in specific trades, for which other countries may not have degree programs.
Obligatory military service is another game-changer in this race: All Russian young men between the ages of 18-27 are required to serve in the military for at least one year. However, since there is little-to-no patrioic connection with this obligatory service, and especially due to reports of widespread,violent hazing in the Russian military, many young men choose to enroll in university to postpone their service. Another option, if you aren't medically excused from service, is to offer a bribe, but that's much more expensive than paying for a college education.
In fact, University is usually free for students in Russia, depending on their grades and exam scores. There are usually a certain number of "Free" spots in any given program, which are awarded to the best applicants, but others can choose to enroll as paying students. Each university has a different going rate, but I got the impression that it could cost anywhere from $500 - $5,000 USD per year to enroll as a paying student (I paid $1,000 for a year in university as a foreign student in Irkustk, FYI).
So, there you have it folks, Higher Education in Russia: Axiomatic, Applicable, Attractive, and Accessible. Does that make Russians are more well-educated? Not necessarily, but it sure leads to some impressive numbers.
With over 60% of the 25-and-over population holding a higher degree, it looks almost like Russia is handing out college degrees like candy (especially when compare to the second- and third-place countries in this race, Belarus and Canada, having significantly lower stats of 47.7% and 50.2%, respectively).
If you bothered to check out that graph that I'm referencing, you could see that the United States comes in at 40.7%, which looks pretty mediocre, depending on how you want to interpret all of this data: Other than as a straight-up, Higher-Education pissing contest (a perfectly internet-worthy application of these stats), you can defend these numbers with research to better understand the culture of Higher Education in any one of these countries. I'm going to write about the cultural implications that contribute to this, but you know, since we are on the internet, I'll go ahead and say it: Russia wins!
But seriously, how and why does Russia hold the gold in this competition, especially by so great a margin? Well, I think part of it relates to my previous post explaining the importance of higher education to a Russian's individual identity: When the question "Who are you?" is culturally equivalent to asking about someone's education, it makes sense that over half the population would want to earn a higher degree.
It is definitely worth noting that, as defined for this study, earning a higher degree means "completion of postsecondary education that is theoretically based and prepares students to gain entry into advanced research programs or high-skilled professions, or that provides participants with a labor-market qualification in an occupation or trade." Thus, the high percentage might also be accredited to the post-soviet rollover of higher education programs and institutions in specific trades, for which other countries may not have degree programs.
Obligatory military service is another game-changer in this race: All Russian young men between the ages of 18-27 are required to serve in the military for at least one year. However, since there is little-to-no patrioic connection with this obligatory service, and especially due to reports of widespread,violent hazing in the Russian military, many young men choose to enroll in university to postpone their service. Another option, if you aren't medically excused from service, is to offer a bribe, but that's much more expensive than paying for a college education.
In fact, University is usually free for students in Russia, depending on their grades and exam scores. There are usually a certain number of "Free" spots in any given program, which are awarded to the best applicants, but others can choose to enroll as paying students. Each university has a different going rate, but I got the impression that it could cost anywhere from $500 - $5,000 USD per year to enroll as a paying student (I paid $1,000 for a year in university as a foreign student in Irkustk, FYI).
So, there you have it folks, Higher Education in Russia: Axiomatic, Applicable, Attractive, and Accessible. Does that make Russians are more well-educated? Not necessarily, but it sure leads to some impressive numbers.
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