The Atlas of American Higher Education - Softcover

Fonseca, James; Andrews, Alice C.

9780814726334: The Atlas of American Higher Education

Softcover

ISBN 10: 081472633X ISBN 13: 9780814726334

Publisher: NYU Press, 1995

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The authors' innovative approach to the presentation of data, prominently featured in the Wall Street Journal and the Boston Globe, is a welcome change from the traditional form of dry statistics, tables, and charts.

Here is an essential reference book which will be enthusiastically welcomed by all those interested in American higher education. This innovative approach to the presentation of educational data is a welcome change from the traditional portrayal of such data in the form of dry statistics, tables, and charts. The striking visual approach provides the reader with a clear, concise understanding of higher education in this country and a comprehensive overview of current trends. By seeing the data graphically portrayed, even a casual reader can develop a broad understanding of basic information in a relatively short period of time.
From the masses of information that are regularly collected and compiled by the many agencies and associations concerned with higher education, the authors have carefully chosen the most important data and those that highlight the spatial patterns. The Atlas clearly shows the influence of the 50 separate and distinct systems that make up American higher education.

Moving beyond the relatively simplistic portrayals of statistical data found in existing fact books, The Atlas of American Higher Education presents dozens of maps on such topics as enrollment; students and faculty; cultural diversity; specialized institutions; two year colleges; outcomes of higher education; student costs and student aid; and financing of higher education, as well as general background and summary chapters. The Atlas includes balanced coverage of both public and private, two- and four-year institutions. In addition to portraying data by state, the Atlas portrays basic underlying demographic variables such as population density and distribution by age groups.

The Atlas of American Higher Education is an indispensable text for college and university administrators, students and faculty in master's and doctoral programs in the field of higher education, as well as anyone concerned with educational policy. Geographers, those interested in American studies, and other social scientists will find the Atlas useful in courses that deal with social, cultural, and demographic issues.

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About the Author

James W. Fonseca is Professor of Geography and Dean of Ohio University-Zanesville

From Booklist

Authors Fonseca and Andrews have transformed the usual tabular display of statistics on American higher education into an atlas. Statistics are drawn from the Digest of Educational Statistics, State Higher Education Profiles (3d ed., 1991), and statistical publications from various institutes and professional associations.

The book is divided into 10 chapters, with 86 maps in all. The first includes maps that give background information to aid in interpretation of the data presented in the rest of the chapters. Maps showing U.S. population, the distribution of African American and Hispanic populations, and household income are here. The following chapters contain maps that chart enrollment, students and faculty, cultural diversity, specialized institutions, two-year colleges, outcomes of higher education, student costs and student aid, and the financing of higher education. The last chapter summarizes major findings. Tables citing the original source of the maps form an appendix. A bibliography of sources and a subject index are also included.

Some of the maps are surface maps, in which the distribution of dollars or population appears as a topographic surface. Most are choropleth maps, in which quantities and ratios are assigned different shadings and plotted on a state-by-state basis. The authors state in the introduction that, in most cases, they have divided data into three categories in order to keep the maps clear and simple. They have also made an effort to emphasize regional differences by their choices of data intervals. For instance, by breaking the data set for the distribution of minorities in higher education into just three groups (less than 7 percent, 7-15 percent, and more than 15 percent), the authors create a map that shows a peripheral rim of eastern, southern, and western states with the highest percentages of minorities in higher education, and the midwestern and north-central states with the lowest. Had the data been broken into a greater number of equal intervals, the map would have less impact. Each map is accompanied by a lengthy analysis of the data, including references to the original statistics and other maps that may help to further understanding. Some maps, such as the "Summary Map," can be interpreted only after reading the accompanying text. Most are self-explanatory, with such titles as "Educational Attainment: Hispanics (Proportion Over 25 with 4 or More Years of College, by Region, 1989)."

Libraries serving college and university administrators, public policymakers, educators, and geographers will find this atlas useful because of its unique approach to statistical information.

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