In danger of sounding pretentious as hell, I think comics as any other art form deserves the recognition and seriousness that is the dedicated study of it and specialization, that I think is the purpose of a higher education.
But I don't think higher education is for everyone. Some thrive in a class room setting, other people wither and dies in them.
I really want to get an education in comics. I learn well in a structured school setting, and I like getting assignments and such, otherwise I have a hard time getting out of my comfort zone and prioritize what to work on.
There is a school near where I live that I have had my eyes on for years. In Denmark (where I live) we have The Animation Workshop. It's an internationally renowned profession bachelor program that has three branches each at four years length: Computer Graphic Arts, Character Animation and their newest, Graphic Storytelling, that includes storyboarding, comics and other sorts of visual storytelling.
It's a state funded school, but you have to pay for materials. You learn both the artistic parts of the craft but also the marketing and business aspects of it. The course is quite popular and have a low acceptance rate, mostly because GS is very new. The first graduates just came out this year. What I have heard there were 60 places for 400 applicants last year, so you have to be good before you even get in. Competition is fierce.
Every summer The Animation Workshop also have some one week courses for everyone to attend, and I've been there the past three years. They are amazing! They offer classical drawing and animation and this year they also have a comic course I'm looking forward to attend! (There are a lot of international people that attend, I can give you a link if you are interested) (No, I'm not sponsored, I'm just a fangirl of this school, it's like my dream holiday destination)
I have been told from several sources that I have the potential to get in, unfortunately my health does not agree. I can barely hold a work week of 16 hours atm (late diagnosed autism and prolonged exposure to stress does horrible things to your brain), and the school requires full time plus homework. It has been a bitter pill to swallow, that I might have to give up on my dream of getting into the school.
Personal bitterness and crushed dreams aside, I have been seeking alternatives. At the moment I just seek information where I can. The internet is your friend.
I've also started looking into a one year course in Malmö in Sweden, Serieskolan, that may be easier on me to complete. There is also a school in Copenhagen, can't remember it's name, and don't know how long the course is. I just remember someone mentioned it to me.