I think this is the thing most people in the US miss when they want higher education to be free for all. Our university system- both public and private- is wildly overpriced compared to other countries with more public funding.

Small state schools are closer to that, but any of the bigger schools seem to think that because students get easy access to excessive amounts of cheap loans, they can be extravagant in budgeting- sports facilities, gyms, administration, etc.

It's the pretty standard response when you're a service provider and you know your customer isn't directly footing the bill: you either just flat out raise prices, or you add on expensive amenities to make you look more competitive/attractive.

I guess you could say the same for a publicly-funded system, but at least there the funding is limited and controlled. A lot of people sadly won't blink twice at taking out a larger college loan, even if it'll saddle them with crippling debt later on.

I wanted to study abroad when I was in undegrad and couldn't afford it, I opted to take courses at a French university instead. I highly recommend going that route for anyone college aged. I spent less money then I would have at my University in the US for the same time and it was a level of exposure (and frankly, discomfort, that I really grew from) that I don't think my more well off friends got from similar study abroad programs with mostly english speaking peers.