Why Does College Cost So Much--And Why Do So Many Pundits Get It Wrong?

By Cathy Davidson. To say that American universities are too expensive is like saying cars are too expensive. What do we mean by such a statement?  Are we talking about the cost of a Lamborghini Veneno (at 3.5M, one of the world's  most expensive cars) or a Hyundai Atos (at $9000, one of the least expensive)?  For the captain of industry, the sultan, or the magnate, there might not be enough luxury features on the Lamborghini.  For the person barely hanging on to that minimum wage job with no benefits, paying $9000 for an Atos to get across town to work at Walmart every day may be hopelessly out of reach.
So is the Hyundai too expensive?  Is the Lamborghini too cheap?
That is the kind of question we need to be asking of U.S. higher education, an ad hoc system that varies tremendously by state and by kind.  Unlike many countries, we do not have a publiic, national university system. The range of tuition costs (elite private university? public community college? for-profit institution? online provider?) is as diverse as the students being served. More...