The 100 Best Public Colleges in America
By Jody Ellis, Stacker News
On 5/18/21 at 6:30 PM EDT
Earning a college degree is an investment with far-reaching benefits. Adults who hold degrees earn an average of $32,000 more per year than those who hold a high school diploma. This increased income can mean a big difference in quality of life, from being able to afford a home to lower instances of poverty, and even longer life expectancy.
While those statistics are all good reasons to go to college, education often comes with a hefty price tag. Over the last 10 years, tuition rates for both public and private colleges have increased by more than 25 percent, and student loan debt has increased alongside them. In 2019, the average cost per year of a private college education was $48,510, while at a public college it was $21,370. As a result, many students are choosing to attend a public university, where they can potentially get less-expensive tuition and better value for their money
The 50 Most Popular National Parks in America
By Hannah Lang, Stacker News
On 5/15/21 at 8:00 AM EDT
Lucky-photographer / Shutterstock
Approximately 237 million people visited American national parks in 2020, representing a 28 percent year-over-year decrease attributed to the coronavirus pandemic. To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020.
President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 signed the act creating the National Park Service to leave natural and historic phenomenons unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. Since then, our national parks have welcomed visitors from around the world to experience some of the best the country has to offer and showcase the country s natural beauty and cultural heritage.
The 50 Most Visited Historic Sites in America
By Wyatt Massey, Stacker News
On 5/12/21 at 8:00 PM EDT
An unidentified person on a bench that overlooks a valley and beyond, the Hudson River, at the Vanderbilt Mansion Historic Site, Hyde Park, New York, 2018.
John Kisch Archive/Getty Images
From the Underground Railroad to presidential porches, historical sites offer visitors a new experience and a social studies lesson all in one. At historic sites across the nation, tourists can enter into a different time, worldview, or social status with nothing more than a park pass. We can visit some locations to pay our respects to painful pasts, and others to celebrate American icons and pioneers.
Though much debate exists around the education system in the U.S., one thing is for sure: The future of the country lies in our youth, and our ability to educate them.