I think the "life altering changes" required to attend a university for four years are... a big part of the point of going. I think the cost, well, if that is

I think the "life altering changes" required to attend a university for four years are... a big part of the point of going. I think the cost, well, if that is worth it depends largely on what you value and the marginal value of your dollar. I look around my hometown when I visit my parents, not a particularly wealthy place, and I see a lot of those giant trucks, any one of which could have covered four years at a public university.