Interview Only w/Paul Glastris - Why America’s Colleges Are FAILING Their Students

Chuck Todd sits down with Washington Monthly editor-in-chief Paul Glastris to unpack how America’s college ranking system went off the rails—and how it’s warping higher education itself. Glastris argues that U.S. News & World Report rewards wealth, not value, pushing schools to chase prestige over affordability and teaching quality. He highlights Berea College as a model for what higher ed could be: a well-endowed school that actually invests in its students rather than its brand. The two also explore how higher ed’s obsession with research grants and graduate programs has left undergrads behind, and why community and regional universities—where most Americans actually study—deserve more attention and funding. From the decline of community colleges to the disappearance of local journalism, Glastris and Todd make the case for a “New Deal for Higher Education” that values mobility, access, and public service over profit and rankings. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Paul Glastris joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Best colleges for the buck? 03:15 US News ranks colleges in a horrific way 04:30 Schools prioritize wealth when doing admissions 07:30 Upward mobility matters more when ranking colleges 09:15 Schools freak out when they lose ranking status 10:45 Berea College is best bang for the buck school in America 12:45 Berea has a massive endowment, but it’s used for education 15:30 Schools focus on post-grad programs rather than undergrad 17:00 Research institutions should be put in their own category 17:30 Trump administration is going after schools with research grants 19:00 We’ve never seen an administration target college research 20:15 It costs a ton of money to send kids to college now 21:30 Do colleges prioritize hiring researchers or teachers? 24:15 We overproduce academic talent in America 26:15 Smaller schools face massive financial challenges 28:30 Many schools border on predatory 30:00 We need a “new deal” for higher education 32:30 Most people get their BA’s at local & regional universities 34:00 America didn’t get to making 2 years of college free 35:15 The state of the community college system 36:45 Florida never built a good state system, has no prestige schools 37:45 Florida standardized passing courses counting at every school 39:45 There’s a wide disparity of outcomes between community colleges 40:15 Community colleges offer community building activities 42:45 College rankings are an important example of service journalism 44:45 Local journalism was the foundational piece of the profession 46:00 The economic underpinnings of local journalism have been wiped out 48:30 Government and philanthropy can underwrite local journalism 50:30 National opinion journalism undermined local journalism 52:00 Small towns can’t afford good journalism See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.