Is In-State Tuition at National Universities Dying a Slow Death?

The pattern at elite national universities was very different. There, the majority of additional students were from other states. Instead of extending their traditional mission of providing an affordable, high-quality education to local residents, national universities focused on recruiting students from other states and nations, many of whom paid much higher tuition rates. As a result, the number of in-state spots relative to the college-going population as a whole declined significantly at national public universities.

Purdue University cut annual in-state slots for incoming freshmen by more than 500 students, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by more than 300, and Auburn and Michigan State by more than 200, with each enrolling hundreds of additional out-of-state and international students in their stead.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/upshot/the-in-state-tuition-break-slowly-disappearing.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0

I could be wrong, but I remember a report from this fall saying UM  was now over 50% out of state students. I can't find it anywhere. I found this link below that says out of state enrollment at UM is 43%, but not the 50% + I remembered hearing about.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/05/18/report-criticizes-public-colleges-use-funds-recruit-out-state-students

Anyway, this is a disturbing trend. Flagship state institutions are serving residents of other states better than they serve their own residents. I realize it is a function of rising (operations) costs, but it is still disturbing. I suppose this is especially problematic in a place like Michigan where the national universities are nationally attractive. In NY, UB has that national distinction (formerly called research I), but I doubt it has the same national draw as a PSU, OSU, UM, or MSU.

Turtleneck wrote:

The pattern at elite national universities was very different. There, the majority of additional students were from other states. Instead of extending their traditional mission of providing an affordable, high-quality education to local residents, national universities focused on recruiting students from other states and nations, many of whom paid much higher tuition rates. As a result, the number of in-state spots relative to the college-going population as a whole declined significantly at national public universities.

Purdue University cut annual in-state slots for incoming freshmen by more than 500 students, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by more than 300, and Auburn and Michigan State by more than 200, with each enrolling hundreds of additional out-of-state and international students in their stead.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/upshot/the-in-state-tuition-break-slowly-disappearing.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0

I could be wrong, but I remember a report from this fall saying UM was now over 50% out of state students. I can't find it anywhere. I found this link below that says out of state enrollment at UM is 43%, but not the 50% + I remembered hearing about.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/05/18/report-criticizes-public-colleges-use-funds-recruit-out-state-students

I saw that story about UofM being at or over 50% of out of state kids. Face it, it's a business model that colleges are latching onto. It will eventually be another nail in the coffin of higher education. Online classes are going to so blur what, exactly is a college education it will be funny as hell. I'm in my 50's. This college stuff is not very much like it was for me int he 1980's. I can only imagine where it's going.

University education as a way to prosperity is dying. I'm about 5 years out of college now, and I'd say the number of friends whose education has benefitted them is equal to the number whose hasn't. Obviously college still serves a sorting function, but even colleges know the U.S. economy is a long way from being able to employ all who graduate. For the sake of both increased tuition and future donations it makes a ton more sense to have a student body of students from the coasts and internationals.

Bottom line, the Midwest will never again be even close to what it once was economically. Colleges know this.