The High Cost of College

For John, BLUF:  Yes, Unfunded Mandates and the desire to make college life perfect is driving up Administrative costs much faster than faculty salaries, and thus driving high education costs through the roof.  To be blunt, non-mission essential items is the big driver of higher ed costs.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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At many small colleges, administrative spending is surging

From The Boston Globe, by Reporter Laura Krantz, 29 August 2018.

Here is the lede plus five:

At private colleges across New England, spending on administrative salaries and wages has grown more than twice as fast as student enrollment over the past decade, federal data show, as schools meet demand for more services and strive to compete for an increasingly small pool of high school graduates.

The overall student population increased by 11 percent in the decade between 2007 and 2016, the most recent data available. But during that same period, spending on administrators grew by about 30 percent.

In an era where many small private schools are increasingly unable to keep up with costs as a result of slowing tuition revenue growth, this disconnect between the rising payroll expenses and sluggish enrollment gains raises questions about the sustainability of their business model.

“In general, spending even on the noninstructional parts of higher education tends to improve student outcomes, but it’s also to a point where the cost of educating a student is going up much faster than family income,” said Robert Kelchen, a Seton Hall professor who is an expert in higher education finance.

The first paragraph makes it sound like the enlightened students of today are the ones demanding these additional services.  My guess is that the demand comes from Federal and State mandates.

We need to get back to colleges being about a college degree.  I am not saying going back to quill pens, but back to before we worried much about the feelings and foibles of the students.  The students are there to learn, and to learn about a future less than perfect work place.  Life is hard, but it is worse if you think that it shouldn't be.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff