I doubt analyzing university would do much since its already a common knowledge at this point still nothing is happening. Government and legal institutions are ineffective in solving problem where solution results in loss in profit.

Building alternatives to universities that are driven by grass-roots movements are the perfect way forward here. Home schooling, MOOCs and startup businesses are some of the developments that have started diminishing the need of expensive degrees.

What I think will be interesting in the next few decades is if universities will maintain their monopoly on accreditation or if they will lose that like they did on their monopoly of education.

As long as there's a need for degrees as a signal for baseline competence/barrier to entry, it seems those needing it will be at the mercy of the systems that provide it.

> a need for degrees as a signal for baseline competence/barrier to entry

The signal is valuable. The unnatural barrier to entry is, at best, unethical.

Ideally, the barrier to the opportunity to earn the credential would not exist. It should be available to everyone worldwide.

Individual research positions should be applied for. Certain practical skills must be taught in labs, etc. But the vast majority of intellectual effort in a Harvard degree should already have all its coursework and testing available to everyone, and at reasonable cost. Otherwise it is not an open competition, it is an institution promoting socioeconomi status.

I think that's part of the issue as it relates to the article. If that accreditation becomes available to anyone, it loses its elitism and erodes some of the value signal.

That may or may not be why some of the elite schools open up their courses but not their accreditation online. It may not be in the institutions best interest to be as open as the ideal you describe.

Yes, and especially as charities that are effectively subsidized by Joe Everyperson taxpayer, they should not be left off the hook.

Sadly MOOCs as provided by US institutions have gone pretty much the same way as tuition: insane cost for what it is. The French national online university is an interesting model though.

Really an eye opening discussion. I think I’ve been consuming reporting on the ever rising cost of tuition for all of my adult life. Yet never has any journalist approached the question of universities 501(c)(3) status, in the publications I’ve read.

Its crazy! Over time the tax advantage could make university endowments (as well as wealthy religious entities) the largest owners of capital in the world, along with sovereign wealth funds.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

I'm not focused enough right now to put a book together -- although I agree that there is more to be said on and around this specific topic. Some good nuggets are in this comment section -- as is usually the case for HN.

The essay format allows me to spend a month writing an essay about the intersection of Game Theory, Anime, Military Strategy, AI, and Political Economy without stressing about any grander narrative, which I very much enjoy...