Higher Ed Resource of the Week: A History of American Higher Education (3rd ed.)

Since the publication of the first edition in 2004, John R. Thelin’s A History of American Higher Education has been the standard resource on the topic. On April 2, Johns Hopkins University Press released the third edition. The book has expanded from 448 pages in the first edition to 560 pages in the third edition. The book divides the progress of American higher education into ten periods, beginning in the 1600s and continuing through developments since 2010. Each chapter discusses issues of social class, race, gender, and ethnicity along with developments in curriculum, faculty qualifications, and student life. The third edition has updated discussions of hot-button topics such as athletics, online learning, student debt, increased use of adjuncts, and financial pressures. Like everything in human society, higher education is a product of its history, and this book reveals the social factors and historical developments that have led to the state of American higher education today. Thelin is University Research Professor in the Educational Policy Studies Department at the University of Kentucky. The book is for sale on Amazon in paper for $35.95 and in Kindle format for $33.99.