This is what happens to a market when the person paying for it and person receiving the service are seperated. It can be generational (parents pay for kids edu

This is what happens to a market when the person paying for it and person receiving the service are seperated. It can be generational (parents pay for kids education) or time (a person buys something at 20 that they will pay off at 45). I also think that the prestige of a degree combined with less and less real world application of that degree has something to do it with. I think that the market value for certain degrees is falling below the market price for said degrees and what you are hearing is people complaining loudly. I think if there really was a serious market for pure academics and high value, quality degrees someone would be tapping that market already. There is plenty of expertise, plenty of study in the subject and plenty of players would would be ready to provide that service. I think far, far too many people look at college as a four year luxury party with a side of academics rather than the other way around. People going to college today seem like the most privileged demanding consumers. The new source of costs in colleges which eclipses academics today is services that didn't exist 20 years ago. It's gone way beyond merely housing and a few health services. Colleges are giving students what they want and what they want is scoreboards not lower student-to-professor ratios or cutting edge research. People have always wanted more cake and circus. College is just as consumer driven in this culture as anything else.