Why did college cost so little? Affordability and higher education a century ago

Public concern about rising costs of higher education in the United States often leads students and their parents along with policy makers to argue that college has become unaffordable. The claim that the price of college today is Btoo high is problematic because it is untestable without historical context on how the costs and price of college have changed over time. This analysis attempts to remedy that void by connecting past and present in looking at college tuition and other expenses from a century ago.