Investigating the education economy
Labor share of GDP fell from 58% to 51.4%. Cost to median household: $12,000/year. The data doesn't lie.
Information is free. Claude can write your essay, solve your calculus, draft your brief. So why isn't everyone succeeding? The degree was never about knowledge. It was about discipline.
July 11, 2026$1.77 trillion in student debt. The loan system funds institutional expansion while graduates carry the risk.
July 11, 2026Entry-level hiring down 35.8%. 66% of enterprises cutting junior roles. The pipeline is broken.
July 11, 2026Not closing. Hollowing out. Enrollment 30-50% of peak. The slow death nobody is tracking.
July 11, 202667% drop in junior dev postings. 'Learn a trade' is now #1 career advice on X.
July 11, 2026The endowment grew 9.6% last year. Tuition still went up. Where the money actually goes.
July 11, 2026Paying for access is how elite admissions works for everyone who isn't being prosecuted.
July 11, 2026AI is hollowing out the white-collar middle while tax preparation faces a structural worker shortage. The two trends are solving each other, and almost nobody notices.
July 09, 2026Active thesis
The Degree Is Losing Its Monopoly
6 articles · discipline, ghost universities, admissions, endowments
Coming Next
The College Marketing Budget Is Bigger Than the Instruction Budget at Most Schools
Research in progress · July 2026
While the traditional education system crumbles, alternative credentials are booming. We track which ones are worth your money.