Education

Once babies learn how to walk and talk, they've got a whole slew of skills they'll have to learn to stay competitive in the future job market.

With federal stimulus money running out, states are facing huge budget deficits. State governments are now looking at public university systems to save money.

One business that earned big profits during most of the recession is for-profit colleges. Over the next few weeks, we'll get an idea of how hard they'll be hit by bad publicity from Congressional hearings and possible restrictions on federal financial aid. Amy Scott reports.

A college campus and a retirement center seem like opposite ends of the spectrum, but college camaraderie goes a long way. Retirees are moving back in near their alma maters, in specialized communities that are taking over the retirement business. Nancy Farghalli reports.

What do the X Prize, Google, and the Department of Education have in common? "Freakonomics" coauthor Stephen Dubner gives Kai Ryssdal a pop quiz that compares American aviator Charles Lindbergh to the Race to the Top education-reform program, which makes the government seem a bit more like a sleek venture capitalist than its typical bureaucratic self.

You can catch a glimpse into how well our society's doing with standard economic indicators like the Consumer Price Index. But one Colorado community wanted to go beyond the official statistics and get a better sense of what's working and what's not. Marketplace's special correspondent David Brancaccio reports on Community Indicators.

Commentator Kim Clark takes a closer look at PLUS loans and how it's hurting taxpayers and the parents of students who are taking the loans out, even though they cannot afford to repay them.

Jill Biden, wife of the vice president, is hosting the first-ever White House summit on community colleges in Washington today. The Obama administration is banking on the low-cost schools to help raise college graduation rates and retrain unemployed workers. Amy Scott reports.

The student loan company Sallie Mae released a report called "How America Saves for College." Reporter Eve Troeh talks with Steve Chiotakis about what the report says and whether families are still interested in higher education even if they can't afford it.

Today on Marketplace, reporter Emily Hanford has a story about new tactics being used in the effort to improve teachers and education. The piece is...