Give Me A Discount!
Colleges increasingly resemble airlines, where full-fare travelers cover costs for discounted seats. The percentage of students paying full tuition without aid has fallen from 22% to 16% since 2012. Wealthy families now pay full price almost exclusively at the most selective campuses, creating “sellers” with brand prestige and leaving mid-ranked liberal arts colleges trapped in discount cycles. The hollowing out of the middle class magnifies these pressures, while legacy and athletic preferences sustain wealthier pipelines even at “need-blind” schools.
Read Jeff Selingo’s analysis on LinkedIn
Pieter Brueghel the Younger, The Tax Collector’s Office, c.1615. Public domain.