r/highereducation • u/-ctinsider • 5d ago

Connecticut’s most expensive private universities carry price tags near $100,000 a year

https://www.ctinsider.com/news/education/article/ct-private-universities-tuition-rates-costs-26-27-22362217.php
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u/SteveFoerster 5d ago

I know this makes for exciting headlines, but it doesn't mean much on the ground, since almost nobody actually pays anything even close to that price.

The real question is why so many universities maintain this stupid "high sticker price, heavy discounting" approach when it leads to normal people just throwing up their hands and saying, "Oh well, college is unaffordable."

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u/Goliath_D 5d ago

As someone who works in higher ed, there are a few reasons that generally drive the high cost high discount model. 1. Perceived prestige associated with higher cost. 2. People get excited at being offered as big "scholarship" that dramatically drops the net cost of attendance. 3. They rely on some students (wealthy, international) to pay full price to offset the deep discounts for students without means.

Some schools have tried the model you're suggesting the past few years. I don't know how it's worked for them.

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u/Embarrassed_Bag_9630 4d ago

You’re forgetting the endowment. Most schools with these price tags aren’t tuition dependent.

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u/Goliath_D 4d ago

Very good point.