Cost per student disparity is examined with focus on: the concept of educational cost per student; dispersion of unit cost; cost comparisons among similar institutions; cost comparisons among the states; and institutional differences in the internal allocation of expenditures. Academic freedom, program variety, and institutional objectives may…

The question of what American colleges and universities should spend to educate their students is addressed. Both societal and institutional factors that determine the costs of colleges' educating their students and longitudinal changes in the unit cost of higher education are examined. The following issues are considered: long-term trends in unit…