Opinion | Higher Education Isn’t Lacking in Innovation
A facts-only brief, written by a local AI model from this article in The Wall Street Journal, October 13, 2026. It may contain mistakes, and it is not the article: the full story is at wsj.com.
An opinion letter argues that Jeff Yass’s proposal to fund new universities to reform higher education is unnecessary because the sector already exhibits significant competition and innovation. The authors, David Wippman and Glenn Altschuler, contend that the roughly 4,000 degree-granting institutions in the United States constantly compete using diverse models such as competency-based education and co-op programs. They cite specific examples of recent innovations, including Minerva University’s borderless campus and Paul Quinn College’s urban work model, to demonstrate that experimentation is widespread. The letter also highlights that donor gifts have already produced substantial changes, such as Michael Bloomberg’s initiative to make Johns Hopkins medical school tuition free and the Doerr couple’s gift to Stanford for a sustainability school. The authors conclude that labeling alternative institutions as disruptive does not address the broader reality of existing academic advancements.
Background
- Jeff Yass published an op-ed on October 9 suggesting that donors should support alternative institutions like Carnegie Mellon’s proposed Miami campus or the University of Austin to foster competition.
- Yass characterized elite universities as culturally malignant rackets that should be eliminated.
- The authors note that universities have promoted interdisciplinary study in fields like genomics and bioengineering for decades.
- The letter appeared in the October 14, 2026, print edition.
Read the full article at wsj.com
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