Whether we like it or not, college has become a vending machine, where you insert $X00,000, and out comes a key to allow you access to at least interview for ma

Whether we like it or not, college has become a vending machine, where you insert $X00,000, and out comes a key to allow you access to at least interview for maybe 60+% of (generally higher-paying) jobs out there. Education may happen as a nice side effect, but people aren't spending this kind of money purely for education. I sure would not. I also would not spend that kind of money and then just accept not getting that "key" at the end of the transaction. If we want universities to function as a place to obtain a rigorous education, we need to drastically reduce the cost, and stop employers from using the diploma to gatekeep nice white collar office jobs.