>Let's start with an open mind; I know many of the 'answers' already jumping to people's fingertips, but let's challenge those assumptions and the status quo. N

>Let's start with an open mind; I know many of the 'answers' already jumping to people's fingertips, but let's challenge those assumptions and the status quo. Nothing in the universe requires that there should be N spots available at CMU-level schools. Why not 2N or 10N or 100N? My impression is that the availability of quality college education boomed in the mid-20th century, especially in the U.S. Why not now, with such high demonstrated demand? At least public universities could be expanded. like i wrote elsewhere in this thread the cognitive dissonance here comes from the idea that CMU is about educating. it's not. it's about generating profits. just like porshe/rolex/debeers could easily produce more product but doesn't in order to artificially deflate supply (in order to be able to give the impression of scarcity in order to be able to charge more) every elite institution does the same. for what it actually looks like when a school is honest about the material value of its degree just take a look at the online masters in CS from GT.