Job performance is influenced more by specialized skills and practical effectiveness than by IQ alone. Employers prioritize factors beyond intelligence, as many high-IQ individuals may underperform in real-world scenarios. The notion that a higher education level guarantees increased income is flawed; the true determinants of success are the skills individuals possess rather than merely their educational background. Encouraging wider access to college does not ensure higher earnings because not all graduates inherently possess the necessary skills. Just as aspiring to play professional basketball is unrealistic without the requisite height and ability, seeking advanced education without the foundational skills is equally unproductive.
Bryan Caplan of George Mason University and the author of The Case Against Education talks about the book with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. Caplan argues that very little learning takes place in formal education and that very little of the return to college comes from skills or knowledge that is acquired in the classroom. Schooling, he concludes, as it is currently conducted is mostly a waste of time and money. Caplan bring a great deal of evidence to support his dramatic claim and much of the conversation focuses on the challenge of measuring and observing what students actually learn.