Higher Education in American Society is the most widely used volume on the subject of American higher education. Now completely revised and updated, this third edition provides in-depth coverage of economic, social, and political issues by leading experts in their fields. Among the topics covered are:

- the financing of higher education
- the relationship between American universities and government at the state and
federal levels
- the changing legal aspects of higher education
- academic freedom
The contributors also discuss how the key elements of academic institutions - students, faculty, and administrators - have been affected by societal trends. This is the only volume that offers a multi-faceted and comprehensive analysis of the relationship between one of our most important institutions - the university - and the political and social system of which it is a part.
The contributors include Philip G. Altbach, Robert O. Berdahl, Burton Clark, Eric L. Dey, Lawrence E. Gladieux, Patricia J. Gumport, W. Lee Hansen, Fred F. Harcleroad, Arthur M. Hauptman, Walter C. Hobbs, Sylvia Hurtado, Clark Kerr, Laura Green Knapp, T.R. McConnell, Aims C. McGuinness, Jr., Walter Metzger, Sheila Slaughter, Irving J. Spitzsberg, Jr., Jacob O. Stampern, John R. Thelin, Martin Trow, and Ami Zusman.