Earning two-year community college degrees in health care or STEM fields can put young people on a solid course to better earnings in well-paid fields with high demand for workers in Massachusetts, but there are big gaps in those seeking these degrees between students from low-income and better-off households.

The cost of higher education, like the cost of everything in the current environment, will continue to be a concern. But a quick look over the data confirms there is still great value in higher education.

In education, staying still is equivalent to moving backwards. Our world is changing far too quickly, and the traditional educational models just aren’t always sufficient.

The future of the liberal arts may well depend on aligning ourselves in productive partnerships with STEM disciplines.