Nothing discussed is addressing the true value of a university degree to those who are often the ones paying, i.e. wealthy parents. Universities provide those parents a socially acceptable strategy to get their pothead gamer sons out of their too-comfortable basement, and keep their silly daughters from getting pregnant by that cute lower-class clerk at the local WaWa. With a general bump in overall status for the family to boot. For those parents, universities are still a great value proposition.