The Case Against Education

by Bryan Caplan

Princeton University Press · 2018

In The Case Against Education, economist Bryan Caplan makes a provocative argument: most of what schools teach is useless in real life, and the economic value of education comes almost entirely from its signaling function — proving to employers that you are smart and conscientious, not from any actual knowledge acquired. His conclusion is uncomfortable for both liberals and conservatives: we should dramatically cut education subsidies.