How to Get College Tuition Under Control

Three economists debate the causes of and possible solutions for the high cost of college

By DOUGLAS BELKIN

The Wall Street Journal - October 8, 2013

In the past decade, college tuition has risen three times as fast as the consumer-price index and twice as fast as medical care. 

How can that be—and what can be done about it?

To answer those questions, The Wall Street Journal invited three economists with distinctly different orientations within higher education to discuss the issue.

 Rudy Fichtenbaum teaches at Wright State University, Fairborn, Ohio, and is president of the American Association of University Professors, which promotes academic freedom and shared governance on college campuses. Katharine Lyall was president of the University of Wisconsin System from 1992 to 2004. Richard Vedder is director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Washington, D.C., which researches cost and efficiency in higher education.

This conversation was conducted by email between Aug. 28 and Sept. 3. Here are edited excerpts.

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