Colleges may have been cheaper 50 years ago, but it was also roughly half as common to go to college. It was especially uncommon for women and POC to enroll. Overall, the government is subsidizing colleges more, but the subsidy is spread thinner. In-state tuition without assistance tends to be $6000-12,000, which isn't much in the grand scheme of things.

As a slight tangent, student loans and grants tend to be the least efficient form of subsidy for higher education because they incentivize colleges to increase tuitions to make them more resort-like.

In-state tuition without assistance tends to be $6000-12,000 _per year_. My college bill is ~$11.5k/yr at a state school (not including housing, which I pay $1200/mo for - above average for college but dead average for 1b apartments).

Working for my university's housing and dining services (a major employer of students), I would make $8.50/hr my first year, with potential $0.25-$0.50 raises each year. At $8.50/hr, it would take 1350 hours to pay for my tuition alone before taxes. Full time employees work 2080 hours/yr but also get paid vacation while student employees do not.

So I would argue that state school tuition is a bit much in the grand scheme of things.

People I know who went to college 40-50 years ago talk about paying for college by working summer jobs at the grocery store. People I know who graduated in the last 10 years talk about how they're still paying off loans.