Despite sticker prices, the real cost of getting a degree has been going down

Sticker Price vs. Net Price (and the Missing Loans)

• Many agree sticker prices at U.S. colleges are largely fictitious; only a minority (especially at privates) pay full tuition.
• Commenters cite data that ~16–26% of students pay full price; international students are often described as “funding whales.”
• Multiple people criticize the article for treating all “financial aid” alike and never distinguishing grants from loans.
• Concern: if net price is lower only because of loans, the true cost hasn’t fallen—debt has just been shifted to the future.

Class, Access, and Who Gets Help

• Longstanding pattern: poor/high-achieving students can get large discounts at elite schools, but many self-select out because sticker prices scare them.
• Middle-class families feel especially squeezed: too “rich” for need-based aid, not rich enough to pay, leading to talk of HELOCs, raiding retirement, and regret.
• Some note generous merit packages at lower-ranked flagships (e.g., Alabama, Oklahoma) vs. weak merit aid at “good” state schools.
• There is tension over scholarships restricted by race/gender; some view this as unfair discrimination, others as equity.

Signaling, Status, and School Choice

• Where a child goes to college is framed as a status symbol and “team” identity for parents (bumper stickers, apparel, bragging rights).
• Debate over payoff of prestige:
  • Top-5 schools seen by some as worth very high costs for networks, elite recruiting, and social capital—if students actively leverage opportunities.
  • Others argue public flagships or even community-college–to–state-university paths yield similar outcomes for most careers.
• Small private liberal-arts colleges are repeatedly labeled as bad value and financially risky (closure risk).

Value of College vs. Alternatives

• One camp argues many bachelor’s degrees are rent-seeking credentials; self-taught software engineers and tradespeople often do as well or better.
• Another camp defends college for critical thinking, exposure to diverse ideas/people, and rigorous training in math-intensive fields.
• Several note that U.S. options like community colleges, in-state public universities, and flexible timelines can make higher ed relatively affordable—if you avoid high-debt private paths.

Policy, Incentives, and Skepticism of the Article

• Some suggest shifting loan liability to universities to force cost discipline.
• Others blame federal aid and guaranteed loans for enabling price inflation.
• The article itself is widely viewed as PR-like, cherry-picking post-2014 data, downplaying 40–50 year cost rises, and ignoring student-debt realities.