College education could be less costly in Europe or free. But free is not costless. Take Italy. Universities are payed in little part by student fees, they are subsided by the state (they are public universities). What did happen? Slowly, in a few decades, the tenures were taken by the friends of the most powerful professors, the family members and their paramours. People becoming tenured with ZERO citations, publications, books, etc. People winning because other 25 candidates retire themselves. http://informazionesenzafiltro.blogspot.com/2008/10/universit-malata-la-denuncia-di-roberto.html In italian sorry. I translate a part for you: "The data of Bankitalia [Italy Central Bank] show that in the South (where the phenomenon is more visible) from the richier 20% of the society come the 28% of the students and from the poorer 20% only the 4%. One seventh. In America, where the university is paid by the students, the poor that go to the university are 13%. Why? Because, over the demagogery, show the author, the italian university is Âa reversed Robin Hood, where the taxes of all, poors included, finance the free courses of the richer".