why is college so expensive?

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by shark

I'd like to see how much the professors and university administrators rake in every year in salaries...

Most of them don't make nearly as much as you seem to fear they do, with a full tenured professor at all but the fanciest schools topping out around $80K or so, with top administrators getting perhaps twice that on average. There are exceptions, on both sides of the curve.

In other words, your average educator earns in a year about what your average corporate scumbag steals in a week . . . or a good day.

[mithrilG60]

Originally Posted by The Poet

Most of them don't make nearly as much as you seem to fear they do, with a full tenured professor at all but the fanciest schools topping out around $80K or so, with top administrators getting perhaps twice that on average. There are exceptions, on both sides of the curve.

This. For example I currently work as a senior IT admin in a public health authority (completely unrelated to my degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry btw), my father was a toxicology professor and my uncle-in-law a history prof.. both retired as full profs at the top of their institutions pay scales. 10 years into my career I make about $12K - $15K more than my uncle and about $5K less than my father, compared to wages at retirement in both cases. Academics is not a profession to choose if your career ambition is to become wealthy.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by The Poet

Most of them don't make nearly as much as you seem to fear they do, with a full tenured professor at all but the fanciest schools topping out around $80K or so, with top administrators getting perhaps twice that on average. There are exceptions, on both sides of the curve.

In other words, your average educator earns in a year about what your average corporate scumbag steals in a week . . . or a good day.

I would disagree with you. Salaries at public universities are available for some states per FOIA:

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/databases/salaries

Data here show that most of the administrators & many of the top faculty at even the "non-fancy" schools are raking in considerable salaries, not to mention state-provided benefit packages. Your state may vary, I just checked Virginia & NY schools as a basis.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

I would disagree with you. Salaries at public universities are available for some states per FOIA:

You may disagree all you wish, and you may even be correct. However, one cannot within reason compare (for instance) the salary of a renowned research scientist in charge of a cutting edge lab at Illinois or UCLA with a professor of sociology at Podunk College . . . and there are a LOT more of the latter than the former. The initial question was regarding the cost of a college education in general, with an inquiry about how salaries affect the expense. The aforesaid researcher may indeed earn (and I do mean EARN) $200K, while he is leading to discoveries which others without his skills or knowledge will make billions.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by The Poet

You may disagree all you wish, and you may even be correct. However, one cannot within reason compare (for instance) the salary of a renowned research scientist in charge of a cutting edge lab at Illinois or UCLA with a professor of sociology at Podunk College . . . and there are a LOT more of the latter than the former. The initial question was regarding the cost of a college education in general, with an inquiry about how salaries affect the expense. The aforesaid researcher may indeed earn (and I do mean EARN) $200K, while he is leading to discoveries which others without his skills or knowledge will make billions.

I'm not sure I follow. Not picking an argument with you, Thomas, but your original post drew a comparison of salaries between professors/college admins & "corporate scumbags." My link showed that very, very many of those professors earn considerably more than $80-160k/yr, even at the Podunk Colleges. And that was only for public universities in 15 states. So I think you can reasonably infer that some of what Devan & others (like my kids ) experience in the high cost of college education is related to these salaries.

I'm not sure why you're bringing in a comparison to business executives and those in corporate America--I can't see what that has to do with the price of education.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by kaisersozei

I'm not sure I follow. Not picking an argument with you, Thomas, but your original post drew a comparison of salaries between professors/college admins & "corporate scumbags."
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I'm not sure why you're bringing in a comparison to business executives and those in corporate America--I can't see what that has to do with the price of education.

The only point of argument I foresee is the implied (and stated) "blame" for the cost of higher education placed upon the faculty. To me, it is akin to blaming the high cost of an automobile upon the wages of the workers who make it, while giving the CEO who takes home 300 times as much (yes, that is the generally accepted figure with major US corporations these lopsided days) a full pass. Furthermore, it ignores the other expenses involved at any school, large or small, such as the physical plant. Not only are the existing facilities expensive to maintain (how many plumbers, electricians, mechanics, carpenters, masons etc. do you think it takes, and how much do they earn?), but with the increased demand for spaces in colleges there is the concomitant need for expansion. Also, in the case of state-supported schools, the budget crunch that have led legislators to decrease financial support, at the demand of taxpayers mind you, means the schools must make up that shortfall in some way . . . either that, or cut things to the bone, and run the risk of collapse, and a failure of the responsibilities that led to their foundation in the first place. So those taxpayers who, for reasons good or selfish, refused to contribute to higher education via their tax burden are then faced with the alternative of ponying up as much, or more, cake when their children matriculate. Sorry, but their laments fall upon my deaf ears. It's their bed, and they should bear it lumps and all.

As for the relationship between education and business, consider for instance the work of a biochemist in a university lab making whatever 6-figure income you wish to envision, then consider the Big Pharma giant that uses his research in order to charge you $30, $80, $120, $450 for a pill that cost them 7 cents to produce.

And if you have a problem with my "corporate scumbag" remark, I shall only ask you note the potential significance of the I included.

[shark]

Originally Posted by The Poet

Most of them don't make nearly as much as you seem to fear they do, with a full tenured professor at all but the fanciest schools topping out around $80K or so, with top administrators getting perhaps twice that on average. There are exceptions, on both sides of the curve.

In other words, your average educator earns in a year about what your average corporate scumbag steals in a week . . . or a good day.

University of Michigan-Dearborn pays a lot of their top people well over $200,000 per year...ask anyone going there or who has gone to any of the U of M campuses (there are 3) and they'll tell you that the tuition, books, etc. was not cheap. I'd imagine it's pretty much the same with others like Michigan State, Oakland U, Wayne State, Western, Central, Lawrence Tech, Michigan Tech, etc. etc.

[shark]

And remember, kiddies: PhD really means Piled High and Deep!

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by The Poet

Most of them don't make nearly as much as you seem to fear they do, with a full tenured professor at all but the fanciest schools topping out around $80K or so, with top administrators getting perhaps twice that on average. There are exceptions, on both sides of the curve.

In other words, your average educator earns in a year about what your average corporate scumbag steals in a week . . . or a good day.

This doesn't pass the smell test. We have fully tenured public high school teachers with M. Ed. in my school district earning upwards of 50k a year (not including benefits).