University education at this point is simply a trend - something that everyone does. I think this makes it less likely to burst. Sure a prestigious university

University education at this point is simply a trend - something that everyone does. I think this makes it less likely to burst. Sure a prestigious university might lose its prestige if it lets in too many commoners. But a persistent trend is more likely to make a required universal ritual. The cost of these programs keep climbing, and the average wage does not. The cost keeps climbing because people are willing to pay it. When the costs stop climbing that's not the same as a collapse or even a change in the general trend of needing to have a college degree. Even better, European countries often fund their universities to almost 100%. When tax revenue drops off, these funds will eventually be cut. You can see this happening in Canada today. Tax revenues drop in every recession, government programs are cut, rarely eliminated and I doubt universities will be the first to go anyway. Look at California, it's probably going to cut the funding to it's public university system, but it won't eliminate it, far from it. The bottom line is college is already in many ways more like a land cruise then a serious and challenging endeavor. And the non-academic activities which happen in college often have a greater impact on your lifetime earnings then the classes you take. Plus society loves universal rituals and traditions. While ever rising tuition rates have to stop at some point, college education is not going away any time soon.