2 answers
john
Student
Alabama, NY
4
Questions
Asked
760 views
why is itvery expensive to school in usa?
schools being very expensive
Login to comment
2 answers
Alysia Furbish
Education
6
Answers
Orlando, Florida
Updated
Alysia’s Answer
This is a great question! There are many factors, but some include inflation. However, tuition and fees have increased much faster than inflation alone would explain. Another big reason is reduced state funding. In the past, the government provided more money to help public colleges, but now those subsidies have decreased, which means colleges need to charge students more to make up the difference.
There's also a high demand for college education. More people want to go to college, and as demand rises, so do costs. In addition, colleges have a lot of operating costs, like paying staff salaries and providing student services, which add to the overall price.
Interestingly, U.S. colleges spend more money on nonteaching staff, such as administrators and support services, than on teachers. This is different from how other countries handle their budgets. Another important factor is that tuition prices aren’t regulated in the U.S., meaning there’s no limit to how much schools can charge. Lastly, the for-profit sector has played a role, as some schools charge high prices for degrees, adding to the overall cost of college in the country.
There's also a high demand for college education. More people want to go to college, and as demand rises, so do costs. In addition, colleges have a lot of operating costs, like paying staff salaries and providing student services, which add to the overall price.
Interestingly, U.S. colleges spend more money on nonteaching staff, such as administrators and support services, than on teachers. This is different from how other countries handle their budgets. Another important factor is that tuition prices aren’t regulated in the U.S., meaning there’s no limit to how much schools can charge. Lastly, the for-profit sector has played a role, as some schools charge high prices for degrees, adding to the overall cost of college in the country.
Chelsea M. Jordan
Learning and Development Specialist
6
Answers
Providence, Rhode Island
Updated
Chelsea M.’s Answer
I love the answer from Alysia! One thing I would add is that the expectations for what students and their families have come to expect from a college or university have risen over time. Understandably, when you are making an investment as big as a college education, you want to ensure that there will be a return on that. There are expectations for things like the most qualified faculty, job assurance post-graduation, internship opportunities, top-notch facilities and services, etc. There are costs associated with providing the best of the best. And, often, colleges/universities are competing with others for the enrollment numbers, so they put in the money in hopes of getting their own return on investment. It is definitely a multi-faceted problem to be addressed here in the US!