Tuition Could Be Cheaper If You Got Rid Of The Bells And Whistles

Harvard and Stanford now cost over $50,000 to attend. I’m not quite sure about Stanford, but I know with HArvard there are a lot of tuition cuts and ways of getting around paying the entire tuition so it’s somewhat of an exaggeration to say Harvard costs fifty grand. But what’s important is to note that one reason (there are many) that colleges cost so much to attend is not because of the actual education part, but rather all the bells and whistles. I’m talking about the fancy gyms and nice dining halls and suave study areas. That’s in addition to the costs to administer and retain those facilities. Take those out of the picture and costs are likely to drop substantially.

The thing is, I just don’t see that happening anytime soon. Universities have to compete with each other for students and a major incentive for students to pick a university is those very facilities that make tuition so expensive. Because the university/college’s welfare is largely dependent on the kind of students it attracts and its reputation, those facilities are extremely important. Thus the high tuition.

–Daniel Strauss