Investing in education: Returns, risks and career resilience

What price a liberal arts education, or a university education in general? Some factors that individuals and the state have to consider at a time of rapid change in the market for skills.

There are some who contend that a university education is not just about acquiring “hard skills”, but also about “soft skills” picked up in the classroom, the opportunity to work collaboratively on projects, and the camaraderie and friendships forged during the college years, says the writer. PHOTO: ST FILE
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Eyebrows were raised at the recent disclosure of the cost of a Yale-NUS College (YNC) liberal arts degree: tuition came to $90,800 a year, with the Government footing $70,300 for each Singaporean student.

This is over three times the government subsidy for an arts or science degree at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

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