COMMENTARY: Here’s why college tuition so high in America

COMMENTARY: Here’s why college tuition so high in America By Tom Purcell Cagle Cartoons Newspaper Syndicate September 12, 2026 - 9:01 pm Why is four-year college tuition so high in the United States? William Bennett, President Ronald Reagan’s chief of education, presented his proposal in 1987. In a New York Times op‑ed titled “Our Greedy Colleges,” he argued that colleges could raise tuition because increases in financial aid—especially federal loan subsidies—enabled higher prices. Bennett’s idea gained traction after the 1992 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act greatly expanded access to federal student loans. The legislation made unsubsidized Stafford loans available regardless of financial need and eliminated annual and aggregate borrowing caps on PLUS loans. In the two years following those changes, federal student borrowing rose 57 percent, reaching a then‑staggering $24 billion per year by 1994 (and $88 billion by 2025). Economist Richard Vedder observed that from 1910 to roughly 1978, tuition increased about 1 percent annually after adjusting for inflation. From 1978 to about 2015, the annual increase jumped to a striking 3 percent. Over the past decade, published tuition prices have continued to climb, yet when inflation is accounted for, four‑year public‑college tuition has actually fallen by 7 percent. Four‑year private‑college tuition has risen by 2 percent. Nevertheless, high tuition has left about 43 million Americans owing roughly $1.7 trillion in federal student‑loan debt. Federal data show the average student‑loan balance is near $40,000. College presidents, chancellors and the American Council on Education say tuition is high because their costs are high. They contend that the government has not supplied enough funding, that federal regulations are expensive to follow, and that they must purchase computers and laboratory equipment for instruction. What they do not mention is that they have spent millions to attract students to their campuses. From the 1990s through the 2010s, colleges embarked on a spending spree, trying to outdo one another. They built elaborate food courts, Olympic‑size pools, world‑class auditoriums and sports arenas. According to the Associated Press, many universities demolished traditional dormitories in favor of upscale housing featuring private suites, granite countertops, designer furnishings and streaming TV. Today’s college students face fewer worries. Maid and laundry services are now commonplace. Students no longer need to haul an SUV when moving in; moving companies handle that for them. Many institutions have poured millions into amenities while neglecting the quality