We don't know what the true cost of going to college is. There are plenty of prices, but there are few places in the world where the student pays 100% of the actual cost of their education. But I can tell you, the cost of a college education is NOT 1000 Eur, anywhere. That's heavily, almost completely, subsidized by the government.
1) Most tuition is posted at a higher sticker price with merit and need scholarships lowering the price for many.
2) Most state schools are government subsidized to some extent.
3) Most schools have some form of endowment (i.e. giant pot of cash donated by alumni) that they invest and sometimes pull cash out of for scholarships and capital projets.
4) The schools vary in price quite a bit based on their standing and whether or not you live on campus. The $35-55k numbers thrown around are top tier private schools including living on campus, i.e. the most you could possibly pay. Many people are getting solid college degrees from state schools (including room & board) around $30k per year. Many more are commuting and paying $20k per year. Community (2 year) colleges are on the order of hundreds or thousands of dollars a semester.
I know that European universities are subsidized a lot. I also think this is right, because it creates an incentive to study - price is low and reward is high. The graduates consumes more afterwards, and pays also more taxes. That's what you call a win/win.
Still I am always surprised that Americans are so much willing to go into that game where the winners are mostly university workers and banks.
This is a bit like inflation in Germany, or housing in the US - you get burnt once and then exaggerate in the other direction.
For housing, these are people never wanting to buy a home again. Wrong reasons - there was a bad bubble until 2007, they just bought too high. Doesn't mean there won't be good deals anymore. Same for education - "it is overly expensive so I jump it". For me it is the wrong solution to the right problem.
1) Most tuition is posted at a higher sticker price with merit and need scholarships lowering the price for many.
2) Most state schools are government subsidized to some extent.
3) Most schools have some form of endowment (i.e. giant pot of cash donated by alumni) that they invest and sometimes pull cash out of for scholarships and capital projets.
4) The schools vary in price quite a bit based on their standing and whether or not you live on campus. The $35-55k numbers thrown around are top tier private schools including living on campus, i.e. the most you could possibly pay. Many people are getting solid college degrees from state schools (including room & board) around $30k per year. Many more are commuting and paying $20k per year. Community (2 year) colleges are on the order of hundreds or thousands of dollars a semester.