Cynically speaking, the purpose of University has always been to connect very rich people with very talented people. In this way the elite can fertilize each ne

Cynically speaking, the purpose of University has always been to connect very rich people with very talented people. In this way the elite can fertilize each new generation with fresh blood carefully selected from the masses. This is good for the very rich, as they know they need talent to remain at the top, and is also good for the very talented, as it gives them a path to that top. Unfortunately, opening higher education to a much greater proportion of the population (50% in the UK?) has somewhat torpedoed this mechanism. The rich will become more stupid, and the talented will find less opportunity to establish themselves.