Unequal Higher Education: Wealth, Status, and Student Opportunity

American higher education is often understood as a vehicle for social advancement. However, the institutions at which students enroll differ widely from one another. Some enjoy tremendous endowment savings and/or collect resources via research, which then offsets the funds that students contribute. Other institutions rely heavily on student tuition payments.

These schools may struggle to remain solvent, and their students often bear the lion’s share of educational costs. Unequal Higher Educa...