Yeah, public universities in the US are often comparably priced for in-state students--after financial aid does all their clerical bullshit--to the prices in the 70s and 80s, adjusting for inflation. And you can't replace the experience of being amongst other students, professors, club members, etc. who are all contributing to the ensemble of your intellectual and personal development. Sure there are things you can find in the library, but oftentimes you won't be embedded directly with those who are working on these problems, and you won't be thinking about/discussing them on a day in, day out basis.