American Higher Education Has Become an Overpriced Scam Enabled by Misguided Priorities
Source: https://www.facebook.com/americanspectator/. "Five Quick Things: Rip-off U. | The American Spectator | USA News and Politics." June 12, 2026. spectator.org
The Gist
The author argues that American colleges have become greedy institutions that charge way too much money while abandoning their educational mission. He believes the whole system is a scam that's getting worse every year and will eventually collapse.
Conclusion
American higher education has become fundamentally broken, charging outrageous prices while failing to deliver proportional value, enabled by a culture that prioritizes money over merit and substance
Premises
- Sixteen colleges now charge over $100,000 per year for tuition, fees, room and board, representing an unsustainable price increase
- Most students at these expensive schools receive scholarships, meaning full-paying families are being used as 'cash cows' to subsidize others
- The public recognizes this overvaluation, with 75% believing college degrees are bizarrely overpriced
- College sports have abandoned amateur principles and become essentially professional leagues through NIL contracts and unlimited transfers
- The system enables corruption, as evidenced by players gambling on their own games and judges making questionable eligibility rulings
- Educational institutions are prioritizing revenue generation over educational mission and ethical standards
Assumptions
- Market prices should reflect actual value delivered
- Higher education should maintain some connection to amateur ideals in athletics
- Educational institutions have a moral obligation to provide fair value
- The current trajectory is unsustainable and will eventually collapse
- Public perception of value accurately reflects reality