The cost of education in the USA and England: where to study is cheaper?

As you know, the cost of higher education in England is very high.However, compared to English universities, the cost of tuition at universities in the United States rises for students in much more astronomical amounts. At least that is the widespread opinion.

But is it true?Maybe this stereotype is based on the experience of the most expensive universities like Harvard, where tuition costs $ 60,000 per year, or Yale University with $ 48,000?We suggest looking at this issue a little more broadly.

Higher education in the USA and England: the price of the issue

First, as an example, compare the universities UCLAN and UCLA. The first is University of Central Lancashire located in Preston, England. With its abbreviation, it echoes the University of California at Los Angeles, which is one of the top 20 universities in the world. Despite the huge difference between these universities, the cost of studying in them is practically equal.Thus, a year of undergraduate studies at Lancashire University will cost £ 9,000, while at the University of California - $ 13,251, which is £ 9,350 in terms of the British pound.

Or, for example, comparing the University of Washington and the University of Wolverhampton, you would hardly expect that in the former the cost of education will be lower.In fact, tuition at the University of Washington costs $ 11,839 (£ 8,354), and for a year at Wolverhampton, like a similar university in England, you will have to pay £ 9,000. On average, the cost of education at a US state university is $ 9,410 (£ 6,610) per year.

Peggy Blumenthal of the New York Institute for International Education notes that this phenomenon is directly related to one of the most common misconceptions about higher education in the United States. “American universities have a very wide range ofin tuition fees, ”she emphasizes.And in fact, it turns out that many US universities are asking for amounts comparable to what students pay in English and other European universities.

Public universities, as the engine of higher education in the United States, have a two-tier fee system. Therefore, students living in the country pay much less tuition fees than foreigners.In addition, local students often live at home during their studies, which means they do not overpay for living in a hostel.

What constitutes university tuition fees

In addition to the cost of education, the costs of accommodation and meals are already included.But the parents of an English student, who console themselves with the fact that tuition costs may not be reimbursed until graduation, often find themselves deeply puzzled by spending on housing, food and other needs that are not included in the cost.Even with all those exorbitantly expensive private universities in the United States, the numbers they claim are misleading, Ms Blumenthal said.

“Few Americans pay for education exactly the amount that is indicated on the university website.It is quite common for a student to receive a discount on admission to a university. For example, you receive a letter from the admissions office, notifying you of admission to the university, which says that you will receive financial assistance in the form of a loan or scholarship, which will cover part of the cost of tuition fees. At the same time, universities in the United States often offer students work on campus, ”notes Peggy Blumenthal.

But, in turn, the representative of the University of Central Lancashire emphasizes that they also have scholarships with the possibility of receiving up to £ 2,000 during the first years of study. “Despite concerns about some aspects of government policy regarding paid higher education,education, we intend to continue to work within its framework.In addition, the statistics of the admission campaign show that high prices do not frighten students at all ”.

Another factor to bear in mind is that preparation for undergraduate programs in the US higher education system lasts 4 years, and in England - 3. This naturally increases the overall amount of spending on education at an American university.

Is higher education cheaper in the US?

But still, where does such a high cost of education in the USA and England come from? The answer to this question reflects perhaps the most striking contrast.

Recently, the UK government announced that the cost of higher education in England would rise to over £ 9,000 per year. The authorities are already pushing universities to charge more students.

In US higher education, the situation is reversed - government debates are centered around how tuition costs can be reduced. The student debt level in the country is over a trillion dollars and continues to rise.This situation is regarded by the authorities as unacceptable for the state economy.

During the electoral race, Democrats compete in slogans about more accessible education. Hillary Clinton promises "New College Compact", which means financial support for students. Bernie Sanders in his promises goes further and vows to make education at public universities completely free, referring to the experience of Germany.

In turn, Ms. Blumenthal notes that due to the stagnation of wages, representatives of the middle class simply do not have the means to pay for higher education.

The classic "American Dream", which implies affordable education for children at all levels, in fact turns into a nightmare.If you are a middle-income family with 2-3 kids about to go to college, you simply cannot afford to pay for their tuition.In addition, your incomeit may also be such that you lose the right to apply for a grant.

Now US universities provide assistance, in fact, only to a narrow segment of the middle class, not at all hiding it. The University of California at Berkeley, which has tuition fees for local students of $ 13,342 (£ 9,400), has launched a Middle Class Access Plan. It includes financial assistance to families with a total income of $ 80,000 (£ 57,000) - $ 150,000 (£ 106,000).That is, such a family has substantial funds, but cannot afford to pay in full for their child's higher education.

The real cost of education in the US and England

The best private universities are also concerned about the need to reduce education costs.John Hennessy, head of Stanford University, told the BBC: “Student debt levels can no longer rise with the present progression.We are in search of a solution to this situation, whether it be a reimbursement of funds from future income or some other scheme. "

John Hennessy adds that it is possible that online technology can help reduce the cost of education. For example, students, while at home, will learn courses online, participating in interactive video classes, as if they were in the classroom. However, according to Mr. Hennessy, students will be the most resistant to such changes, not wanting to transform the traditional higher education system in the United States.

And while the cost of higher education in England is about the same (about £ 9,000), the amounts at US universities vary widely and can have a completely unjustified price-performance ratio. Research by French business school INSEAD shows that when US universities fall in the rankings, they raise, rather than lower, the cost of educational programs. This phenomenon was given the name "Chivas Regal strategy" by analogy with the case when a whiskey brand was able to increase its status and popularity by increasing the price. Research shows that over the past 30 years, the cost of education at universities has. The United States is up 500%. And this trend continues to continue.

Of course, there is a huge difference between the amounts paid by students at universities in the United States and England. So, English students do not deposit money up front.Payments begin only when the student's income exceeds £ 21,000, and after 30 years, the debts are completely written off. At one time, this system was supported by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as an example of a long-term sustainable approach to financing higher education, in which tuition fees are not required at the time of enrollment.

But do not forget that England is not the whole of Great Britain. In Scotland, local students study for free, in Wales and Northern Ireland, tuition costs around £ 3,800 per year.

Pam Tatlow, executive director of the UK's Million + group, says universities recognize the public concern, but the commercial basis of education has completely supplanted the budget funding it once provided.She also adds that international experience shows that there is nothing inevitable in the fact that students are forced to pay for higher education on their own. “I don’t think everyone thinks that the system of public funding for universities is a truth set in stone,” Ms. Tatlow emphasizes.