IntroductionHigher education exists to produce knowledge. This mission is accomplished by researchers and teachers, working cooperatively, with the goal of producing educated citizens. It is through research, innovation and teaching that we improve our society. Educating the whole person was an early goal of higher education. Today, there are many competing goals that influence the missions and funding philosophies related to public universities. In the first chapter of How to Succeed in School Without Really Learning: The Credential Race in American Education, David Labaree (1997) identifies three goals that define education. To provide context for how the three goals may be competing or aligning, two pieces will be used to analyze the goals. The first is an article regarding the government's role in financing higher education (Baum, 1995) and the second document, The Arizona Higher Education Enterprise: Strategic realignment 2010 forward, is the strategic plan of the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) (ABOR, 2010). The Goals That Defining Education The three goals of education are: social efficiency, social mobility, and democratic equality (Labaree, 1997). They are best understood by comparing and contrasting them along the various philosophical dimensions used to answer questions such as “how much education should a person receive?” or “is higher education intended as a public or private good?” Social Efficiency If the purpose of higher education were based solely on the goal of social efficiency, students would receive only the education needed for a job, and no more. This level of education is not determined by competition or status. It's a combination of private and public interest, but seen more... middle of paper... higher education. The three objectives cannot all be achieved without sacrificing an element of one objective for the promotion of another. The goals will often conflict with each other, providing the opportunity for critical debate about the central mission of higher education. Works Cited by the Arizona Board of Regents. (2010). The Arizona higher education enterprise: Strategic realignment from 2010 forward. Phoenix, AZ: Arizona Board of Regents. Baum, S. (1995). The federal role in higher education financing: An economic perspective. Paper presented at the National Conference on Best Ways for the Federal Government to Help Students and Families Finance Postsecondary Education, October 8-9, 1995. Labaree, D. F. (1997). How to Succeed in School Without Really Learning: The Credential Race in American Education. (pp. 1-52).New Haven, Connecticut: Yale UniversityPress.