Ivory Tower (2014)

A documentary that questions the cost -- and value -- of higher education in the United States.

Director:

Andrew Rossi

Writer:

Andrew Rossi

Stars:

Elizabeth Armstrong, Richard Arum, Jamshed Bharucha

3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Elizabeth Armstrong	...	Self
Richard Arum	...	Self
Jamshed Bharucha	...	Self
David Boone	...	Self
Jerry Brown	...	Self
Peter Buckley	...	Self
Anthony Carnevale	...	Self
Clayton Christensen	...	Self
Michael Crow	...	Self
Andrew Delbanco	...	Self
Drew Gilpin Faust	...	Self
Peter Hadreaas	...	Self
Laura Hamilton	...	Self
John Hennessy	...	Self
Ellen Junn	...	Self

Storyline

A documentary that questions the cost -- and value -- of higher education in the United States.

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Plot Keywords:

education | 

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Taglines:

Is college worth the cost?

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Genres:

Documentary | Family | History | News

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

Freak Out/Starry Eyes
Written by James Murphy
Performed by LCD Soundsystem
Courtesy of Parlophone Records UK
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film and TV Licensing

User Reviews

For most...you must ask is college even worth it?

When I was a high school teacher, one of the more controversial things I did was to encourage my students NOT to go to college like so many of their peers. Instead, I encouraged them to work or go to trade school. Why? Because college, for most young people, is not a great investment any more. You often don't get more out of college than life without it...particularly in regard to prospective job earnings and college. For example, if a student takes on $100,000-200,000 in debt, they might never be able to pay it off...whereas a student learning welding or plumbing or accounting might live a very happy life with little, if any, debt. And, many kids who could barely complete high school were being pushed straight into college...and they almost always failed. Needless to say, many parents weren't happy with me telling their kids that there were alternatives to college. When I and other parents were undergraduates, college was affordable...you could work summers to pay for upcoming two semesters. However, today this simply isn't possible for most kids...and this film dares to say it.

"Ivory Tower" is a very good documentary. It shows many different sides and allows the people to talk. A few seemed completely off-base, such as those who insanely think the system is not broken or those who demand free university education...as someone must pay for it. But many didn't seem weird and offered alternatives...such as non-traditional colleges and the students in the commune, of sorts, in San Francisco where prospective students don't do college but live together and teach each other how to be entrepreneurs. I liked these alternative voices and think the film would be fantastic for teens and their parents to watch together. After all, they'll soon have to make a decision...one which can be very costly./

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 May 2015 (Norway)

Also Known As:

Eebenipuust torn

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$17,857, 15 June 2014

Gross USA:

$106,771

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$106,771

Company Credits

Production Co:

Participant

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color