Don't forget the gymnasiums, stadiums, aquatic centers and all the other high-priced facilities that schools have constructed to compete for those easy-to-get student dollars. Because who can learn in an environment without swimming pools?

For the most part, those types of facilities are paid for out of athletic department funds and donations.

yes the sorts of facilities that universities build for athletics are extravagant and many would say ridiculous, but they really don't have a bearing on the cost of tuition.

> For the most part, those types of facilities are paid for out of athletic department funds and donations.

Just 23 of 228 (NCAA DIV 1 2013) athletic departments were profitable for their schools.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/2013/05/07/nca...

You often do because the cost of administering financial aid and loan programs is much more than if the government simply funded education. The same applies to healthcare: you need dozens of administrators because you have dozens of insurers to deal with. Simplify the system so all costs are paid for by the state and your costs go down.