Here are some possible examples of things that LACs (even less selective ones) can offer to justify their high tuition:
- LACs can typically guarantee than your kid will get smaller classes and more personalized attention from professors than the local state university. A large private university may not be able to make that claim.
- LACs typically have Division III athletics, often without cuts, and can therefore guarantee that your kid will be able to play NCAA sports. This is a big deal to a lot of families. A large private university probably has Division I or II sports, and probably can't make that same offer.
- Some LACs only enroll women. This is often regarded as a minus by American students, but if you are a wealthy international parent from a conservative society in the Middle East or Africa or Asia, it may be a plus. In fact, it may be the only acceptable choice if your daughter wants to study in America.
These kinds of things may or may not justify the higher LAC price tag, but they do differentiate the LAC from the large state university. It may actually be more difficult for the large private university to come up with points of differentiation.