Students walk across the campus of the University of Maryland. A new round of data shows that college enrollment in the U.S. has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. The Washington Post/via Getty Images hide caption
Education We've been to school. We know how education works. Right? In fact, many aspects of learning — in homes, at schools, at work and elsewhere — are evolving rapidly, along with our understanding of learning. Join us as we explore how learning happens.
Education
A passerby walks through a gate to the Harvard University campus, Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. Steven Senne/AP hide caption
Alexandria Davis transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University after completing her associate's degree with help from Great Expectations. She says she's used to working her way through school. After transferring to VCU, she got a work study job with the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond. Shaban Athuman/VPM News hide caption
The percentage of foster youth who earn degrees is low. A program aims to change that
I also type with a pencil in my hand. EyeEm Mobile GmbH/Getty Images hide caption
Old photo of fire Capt. Shane Lawlor and his two sons at a Santa Monica Fire Station. Lawlor has been a firefighter for 17 years. He was dispatched last week to the Pacific Palisades and is still fighting the fires there. Jaleh Lawlor hide caption
President Joe Biden pictured with his Department of Education secretary, Miguel Cardona, in October 2022. Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images hide caption
Biden's education grades: F on FAFSA, an incomplete on student loan forgiveness
Jose Centeno hands food to LAUSD student Jesus Sanchez at Hollenbeck Middle School on Friday, Jan. 10. Jireh Deng for NPR hide caption
Kellen Hedler's classroom aid, Parker Van Buskirk, checks in with Kellen as he works on an assignment. Kellen is largely independent throughout the school day, but Van Buskirk is available in case he needs help. Katrina Ward for NPR hide caption
Colleges and universities collectively experienced a 15% decline in enrollment between 2010 and 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Photo illustration by Camilla Forte/The Hechinger Report images via Getty Images hide caption
At Cornell University, one professor is helping students navigate their emotions about climate change by learning about food. Rebecca Redelmeier/WSKG hide caption
Universities are teaching students to combat climate anxiety with action
Matthew Atha does steel work at Ironworkers Local 29 during an apprenticeship in Dayton, Ohio. Megan Jelinger/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
This March 12, 2019, file photo shows the University Village area of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Reed Saxon/AP/AP hide caption
Iran Loses Regional Ally, U.S. Colleges Prepare For Trump, Drone Sightings
Boniece Gillis, an assistant teacher at Educare DC in Washington, D.C., says the wage bump she receives through the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund has kept her on the job. Caroline Gutman for NPR hide caption
A program in DC raised the wages of child care workers. How's it going now?
The U.S. Supreme Court Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption
At age 8 in 2009, EJ Beck hugs her favorite book, Laura Ingalls Wilder's These Happy Golden Years. At 10, center, she is pictured in the hospital where she was treated for thyroid cancer. For Beck and her family, the Happy Golden Years image became emblematic of her life, before. At right, EJ Beck today is a 23-year-old medical student. Beck family; José A. Alvarado Jr. for NPR hide caption
Margo Jimenez cries as she talks about the moment she realized her husband, Fred Jimenez, would never wake up. According to his death certificate, Fred died of "blunt force head injuries" on Feb. 17, 2024. His injuries were caused by a push from a student 10 days earlier. His death was ruled a homicide. Samuel Rocha IV/TPR hide caption
Why there's a shortage of staff to work with special education students
A group walks on the UC Berkeley campus on March 14, 2022, in Berkeley, Calif. California led the U.S. in international enrollment, with over 140,000 international students attending schools there in the 2023-24 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
MIT is among the handful of higher education institutions that announced free tuition initiatives. Charles Krupa/AP hide caption
University of Texas, MIT and others announce free tuition for some undergraduates
After weeks of testing the application, the U.S. Department of Education released this cycle's FAFSA form on Thursday. Seth Wenig/AP hide caption
Linda McMahon speaks during the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption
Trump picks business executive Linda McMahon to lead the Education Department
With Trump's win, federal student loan borrowers will need to get used to a new normal and new priorities. Moor Studio/Getty Images hide caption
Flags decorate a space at the Education Department in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
A look at the potential impact of shutting down the Department of Education
Students walk by the Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester on Feb. 22, 2023. Ted Shaffrey/AP hide caption