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I too have this fundamental question. One person I've asked who has some insight into these figures (though it isn't his expertise) claims the difference is qua

I too have this fundamental question. One person I've asked who has some insight into these figures (though it isn't his expertise) claims the difference is quality of life for students. Colleges didn't have excellent athletic facilities (for non-athletes especially), study spaces, counselors, job guidance, tutoring services, academic mentors (the list goes on) 50-100 years ago. A lot of colleges 50-100 years ago look like what (some) community colleges look like now. Minimal services not dedicated to their cause. The only difference is the cause is different- education vs. research.

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wespiser_2018 8y ago
Yea, it's not only that schools are spending more to attract students, but that there are some greater market forces at play: More people go to college now than ever, the state subsidizes colleges per student less than ever, and the state will subsidize college in a way that lowers price sensitivity. Finally, there is the Baomol Effect, which says that education will continue to rise in cost w/o productivity gains. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumol%27s_cost_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumol%27s_cost_disease It's sort of this perfect storm that is shifting the increasing cost of expanding education on to 18yos. The upside: college degree holders have a 50% plus wage premium, the downside, in 2026, 18 years after the great recession, there will be a 15-20% drop in enrollment of full pay college students which might just burst the bubble. (Fingers crossed here)