It's fun to think about how screwed up a society would become if it did simpleminded, authoritarian things like reduce the number of seats for education students because teachers defaulted on their student loans at a higher rate than business students, and opened up a corresponding number of spots for business students. There are so many factors affecting that default rate other than society's need for graduates of a degree program...
Here's an idea: make sure people who are intellectually capable of succeeding in a degree program can choose the major they want. Support them financially if they need it. Full stop.
> I also advise that we do a far better job of publishing and thinking about career opportunities and satisfaction. Maybe even to the extent that schools should seriously consider whether it's responsible to accept X majors.
So much of what you're talking about already exists.
That's why I said "do a far better job of ... thinking about"
Are you proposing a system where a school would accept you, decide there were too many of your preferred major, and kick you out or choose another?
The other option would be to force 17/18 year olds to choose their future careers while in high school.
That happens all the time.
So, yes.
A metric that might work in the future is to look at employment and job satisfaction.
> You just need to trust people to act vaguely in their own interest, and society's interest, most of the time and to trust that things will work out.
Sure. And I want free college, and progressive taxation.
I also advise that we do a far better job of publishing and thinking about career opportunities and satisfaction. Maybe even to the extent that schools should seriously consider whether it's responsible to accept X majors.