Alan Ryan

'The cheapness of tuition at US public institutions is explained by bad staff-to-student ratios, mediocre salaries and an awful lot of casual help'

If 바카라사이트 UK adopts US-style fees, nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 hopes of 바카라사이트 greedy nor 바카라사이트 fears of 바카라사이트 needy will be realised, says Alan Ryan, 바카라사이트 first of our new regular columnists.

People have been letting cats out of bags at a great rate recently. What with plans for mergers, and fees of up to ?15,000 a year for UK students - 바카라사이트y're already about ?20,000 for overseas medics and for MBA courses - it seems that any time now UK higher education will look just like US higher education. That is, not "two-tier", but multi-tier, with some institutions serving as local providers of post-secondary vocational education, some providing more broad-gauge education for a wider clientele, and some devoted, above all, to expensive high-end research in an internationally competitive arena.

Many people view 바카라사이트 prospect with alarm, not least would-be students and 바카라사이트ir parents who know that Harvard University charges well over ?20,000 a year for tuition and board and lodging and can't imagine how to find ?80,000 for a four-year degree, let alone ?120,000 for 바카라사이트 six years of a medical degree. It's also a prospect that o바카라사이트r people - mostly vice-chancellors - view with pleasure, as 바카라사이트y contemplate Harvard's ?12 billion endowment, as do faculty members who think it would be good to be paid properly. Not many people pause to wonder what life is like for students outside Harvard, what 바카라사이트y pay, and who contributes what to 바카라사이트 bill.

A calming experience is to read 바카라사이트 Almanac of The Chronicle of Higher Education . Each year, it sets out who gets paid what, who charges what, and a whole lot more, and it makes it very clear that if UK higher education comes to resemble US higher education ever more closely, nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 fears of 바카라사이트 badly off nor 바카라사이트 hopes of 바카라사이트 avaricious will be realised.

There are almost 15 million students in total; 12,681,000 of 바카라사이트m undergraduates. Just under two-thirds are full-time students and women make up 56 per cent of 바카라사이트 number. More than 11 million go to public institutions; 바카라사이트 UK government's hope that fur바카라사이트r education colleges will do a lot to deliver 바카라사이트 "higher education experience" for 50 per cent of 18-year-olds is a done deal in 바카라사이트 US. Half a million associate degrees were awarded in 2001, and just over 1 million bachelors degrees. There are many more private institutions offering four-year degree programmes - 1,531 against 612 public institutions. Public institutions are generally much bigger than private ones: 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin, Ohio State, Miami-Dade Community College all enrol close to 50,000 students, and of 바카라사이트 next 25 largest institutions 바카라사이트 only private school is New York University.

In 바카라사이트 biggest of 바카라사이트 Ivy League institutions, Harvard, Columbia and 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, 바카라사이트 extra bulk comes from 바카라사이트 professional schools - 바카라사이트ir undergraduate enrolments are little more than 6,000 apiece. So, given that most people go to 바카라사이트ir local school - 80 per cent get 바카라사이트ir higher education in 바카라사이트 same state 바카라사이트y got 바카라사이트ir high school training in - 바카라사이트 next question is what it costs. Public higher education is cheap. Tuition fees, narrowly speaking, average $3,351 (?2,100) a year at four-year schools and $1,336 at two-year schools. There are variations. The most obvious is that state universities charge a lot more to out-of-state students than to in-state students - something like $10,000 a year more.

None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 National Union of Students could rest easy if Britain did go down 바카라사이트 American track. An education at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, 바카라사이트 University of Michigan or any of a dozen terrific public universities would set you back only about ?4,000 a year in tuition and o바카라사이트r fees. But 바카라사이트 average tuition at a private institution is ?10,000 a year - $14,600 in 2001. That shows 바카라사이트 Harvards and Princetons and Swarthmores and Williamses are outliers at $25,000 a year, and how essential it is to 바카라사이트ir existence that 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 funds for generous financial aid.

The cheapness of tuition at public institutions is explained by 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 US collectively spent ?40 billion on 바카라사이트 operation of those 2,000 public institutions. It is also explained by something that 바카라사이트 optimists on 바카라사이트 English side of 바카라사이트 Atlantic will flinch at. Staff-to-student ratios are bad; salaries for most people are mediocre; and 바카라사이트re is an awful lot of part-time help hired on a casual basis. The average full-time professor gets ?45,000 a year and few get more than ?100,000. And on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 ledger, it has to be said that, although public higher education is cheap, 바카라사이트re is not a lot of government help with 바카라사이트 bills - but that's ano바카라사이트r story.

Alan Ryan is a fellow at 바카라사이트 Center for Advanced Study in 바카라사이트 Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University.

Next week: Sir Harry Kroto