> You get into them by proving qualification, not wealth.
I think the context indicates that we're talking about kids who couldn't get in by proving qualification, so their only way in is wealth. You want your kids to attend Harvard, not because they're smart enough but because you can pay full price tuition? Well, it's going to cost rather a lot.
I realize that.
> You want your kids to attend Harvard, not because they're smart enough but because you can pay full price tuition? Well, it's going to cost rather a lot.
Why is that even an option? The point was that there is no tuition in Europe (at least in the countries I know). If your kid is unqualified, it is unqualified, you don't get to override that just because you have money.
I think it's more to do with the cost of private education. I found a couple of private middle schools that charged between $30k and $35k per student per year.
Unlike other parts of the US, there are few or no "magnet" schools in lower-income areas. Public school assignments are solely based on your residential address.
So in an indirect sense, sending your kids to a good public school is still costly. In some cases, even sending your kids to a top private school while living in a cheaper area may save money in the end.