Since World War II, the United States has been a shining beacon of leadership in the field of higher education. The innovation and economic growth associated with this leadership has also been globally noticed. Dominance is a part of the American character as the US economy has outperformed those of other nations for many years. Similarly, US institutions of higher education – colleges and universities, both public and private – have, on average, historically outperformed those of other nations. Leadership has become part of United States citizens’ national identity. The trend of the United States in terms of progress, innovation, tertiary enrollment rates, and tertiary graduation rates has been reversing and the gap between the United States and other nations has been closing. This paper will highlight the current trends and explain why the United States is losing its dominance in the realm of higher education.
