Why do Americans pay so much for an education that can be proven to not be the finest?

Question

If you visit NationMaster.com, you'll see that the top 5 countries with the highest mathematical literacy rates beyond high school are Japan (#1), South Korea (#2), New Zealand (#3), Finland (#4), and Canada (#5), with the US ranked at #18.

For reading literacy rates, there's Finland (#1), Canada (#2), New Zealand (#3), Australia (#4) and Ireland (#5) with the US ranked at #15.

For scientific literacy rates, there's South Korea (#1), Japan (#2), Finland (#3), the UK (#4) and Canada (#5), with the US ranked at #14.

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Regardless of what country I'm from, I'm paying between $5-7K each year for my university education. When considering these stats, why aren't more Americans packing their bags and heading for a country where the education is not only better, but also CHEAPER? I hear that at some American schools, students are paying almost $15k a SEMESTER?!?! Are they NUTS? It just does not make any sense to me. Explain, please. I'm not being anti-American. Just...wow.

Answer 1

Lol, I wish I could explain, but I would like to know myself! I hate the fact I have spend my precious money into school. I think college should be free.

Answer 2

The government doesn't give enough funding to post-secondary institutional. That's the simple answer.

Without adequate funding, schools have to raise tuition rates to make up the difference. Canada is in the top 5 in each of those statistics, but our tuition rates aren't much better. Tuition is typically between 5 and 10 thousand dollars, plus residence fees, textbooks, all that stuff. All things considered, university is $20,000+ per year.

People emigrate to the USA for school partly because the idea of the "American Dream" is still alive, regardless of reality.

Answer 3

I go to a public school, I am perfectly literate.

Answer 4

because we have family here and are more familiar with the culture....my college was not expensive.

Answer 5

Because we just pay it without any real way of holding these schools accountable.

Answer 6

It is because everything is higher here. It is all in the way they run the places. They are screwed up in their thinking.

Answer 7

If  this is so why do tens if thousands vote with their feet and come to the U.S. for higher education? It is difficult to get a high percentage when you have so many going to college. In most countries only the most talented get to go to college. Thus their percentage is high, how about in total numbers?

Answer 8

Maybe so we can be the best of the worse?   There are countries educationally worse off than us... but their programs are probably free.

Answer 9

Some of it has to do with proximity - I think most people are at least drawn a bit to the idea that visiting friends and family is within the realm of possiblity for holiday and special events, if not more often.  

Some of it also comes down to financing overseas education.  Although you might get to go to school for much less than many people at US colleges, out of country costs for foreigners is often much higher per credit.  Not only would we be spending just as much between higher tuition and travelling/relocation costs, but we would be much farther from those who we love.

Answer 10

The bottom line here is capitalism. We like to make a buck here and we are sometimes very short sighted.

It really stinks sometimes but we love our country and don't want to leave our family and friends to get our education. We want to do both, see them and learn.

Jb

Answer 11

As americans we have generations of believing the almighty $$$$$$ is ultimately what matters. Status.

Students with $150,000 in student loans will stay longer at a job because they have to.

Truth be told, with internet acess and a decent parent, school is obsolete.

Answer 12

For most places in the US you are forced to pay for the government school. You can choose to use a private school, or home school, but you still pay for the government school. Generally there's no money left after all the taxes and cost of living, so government school it is.

Then for higher education, it's truly astounding. Education costs skyrocketed about 40 years ago when the government began subsidizing higher education.

The USA has among the highest cost of living in the world, including education.

As long as someone is willing to pay to much, someone will charge too much. Americans don't know how to say no.

Answer 13

Most people arent... its public school... FREE....

well the one im going to is... and its great..

Answer 14

Because americans are dumb...

Answer 15

americans

use the money for partys and trips and tv

im down with that

frkein nerds in japan, china amd india

no offense

Answer 16

Why do soo many people come to America for an education? Not all of the American educational systems are poor, in terms of educational quality!

I would not exactly say that this research is proven completely factual -- there are a great deal of factors which come into play; such as, socioeconomics, focus of study, language, government participation/funding, etc.

Answer 17

some people have more money than sence,american schools suck unless you go to collage to party then ok at least they get something out of it.

Answer 18

I wonder why so many people come to the US to study in the colleges here.