What does it mean to be a college graduate? One knows about the time and ever-increasing amount of money that a diploma demands. But when it comes down to what matters--the skills and knowledge acquired--what does a college degree mean? That is the question the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) answers in this book. Inside one will find over 1,000 colleges and universities judged and graded on the basis of the single most important issue facing students: what will they learn? The lawns and shrubbery, the football team, the design of the recreation center, the size of the endowment, the storied past--none of this compares in importance to each student's academic growth. In this report, ACTA examines what tuition dollars and public money are supporting. Will students find a coherent core curriculum that guides them through the fundamentals that every person needs for success in career and community? Can an employer be confident that a newly hired college graduate brings high-level skills to the workplace? These questions matter to the public: in a recent Roper survey, 70% responded that colleges and universities should require all students to take basic classes in core subjects, and a startling 57% said that, on average, American colleges and universities were doing only a fair or poor job in preparing their graduates for their future careers. Not surprisingly, over 200,000 people visited ACTA website in the past year to learn more about what students will--or won't--learn at college. ACTA has sounded a wake-up call for students, parents, trustees, and policymakers. In this time of economic uncertainty and rapid changes in employment opportunities, a college education without a solid core curriculum puts the students and the nation at risk. (Contains 10 notes.)