The American college experience has a high price tag, a crippling price tag, seemingly. According to the Federal Student Aid, in 2022, an estimated 43.5 million Americans deal with student debt, with each loanee owing an average of 37 thousand dollars. That is 13 percent of the United States. And the issue only continues to get worse.
“The average cost of college has more than doubled in the 21st century, with an annual growth rate of 2% over the past 10 years.” (Melanie Hanson, Education Data Initiative) This is not surprising, considering it would be an understatement to say that the parents of forthcoming college students did not face the overwhelming costs that students today do. In 1980, the average tuition to attend a four-year public school was around 10 thousand dollars annually- a statistic that rose by 180% as of 2019. This dramatic increase in prices is completely unreasonable and will impair the success of upcoming generations entirely.
Additionally, the cost of college is too big of a hurdle nowadays. A recent study from the NORC at the University of Chicago found that Americans believe that cost is the biggest barrier to pursuing a higher education. Around 75 percent of their survey reported that “…people do not attend college, because they cannot afford it.” Many colleges need a reality check. Despite scholarships, grants, and loans- 38 percent of students are discouraged from even applying to schools due to the belief, or rather the fact, that it can not be afforded. These 38 percent instead turn to hourly jobs, which do not require a college degree. Due to the accommodating cost of college, we are hindering the creation of potential doctors, lawyers, teachers, and more. We are obstructing the development of our citizens; we are killing the growth of our country.
Furthermore, compared to college prices around the world, America is outdated. In Canada, it is expected for citizens to pay 6 to 7 thousand per year, in the United Kingdom, it is an estimated 9 thousand, and in Mexico, it is around 5 thousand. All are less than 1/4th of the average price to attend college in America: 36 thousand dollars per year. This is why the idea of studying abroad has become more popular among the newer demographic of students, as it is comparatively cheaper to study away from home than to attend a college here in America. The sizable climb in preference towards outsourcing our education makes a statement: college in America is too expensive.
Everything about the price of a higher education in the United States is outrageous. The amount of Americans in debt, the following amount who never try to go to college for fear of debt, and the amount who decide to leave just to be able to afford college, makes this overlooked issue more than a massive one.
