[a_better_world]

if college education produces a public good (a more competent workforce), then it should be funded through public funds-- government should pay for education.

If it does in fact lead to better outcomes, then the higher tax will cover the cost.

running it through the private system builds in too many perverse incentives.

[logicchains]

>if college education produces a public good (a more competent workforce)

It doesn't achieve this; the % of college graduates has vastly increased over the past few decades, but this hasn't contributed to any significant improvements in standardised measures of graduate knowledge or intelligence. From a business perspective the primarily usage of college is as a filter, a proxy for intelligence and willingness to follow instructions, but its usefulness as a filter has been steadily decreasing as it becomes easier and easier to attend and graduate from college.

[zeroonetwothree]

The US government already subsidizes higher education. And all the state governments do as well. So this is already happening.

It’s not at all clear we need to increase the level of subsidy, the rate of college attendance is very high right now compared to past history.

[odie5533]

In theory that sounds good, but in practice our private system has created the best universities in the world and educates an immense number of students to highly employable levels.