At a time when the economy demands a knowledgeable workforce, access to higher education in the United States is slipping, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. A key factor is cost. Since the early 1980s, inflation in tuition has far outpaced the rise in household income and even healthcare costs (see chart). Once a leader in educational opportunity, the United States now ranks seventh in college graduates age 25 to 34.

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