<p>Hawkette, one major assumption you are making is that top universities have no improved over time. I am not familiar enough with every university, but just looking at Michigan over the last 25 years, I would say you would find it nearly impossible to list many schools that have improved more. The number of new buildings that have been built (Medical School and Hospital, Ross Business School, most of North Campus etc…) alone is impressive, to say nothing of its endowment, which has grown significantly faster than any other endowment in the nation. I am sure that other pillars of education (fellow top 10 or top 15 universities) have had similar improvements. I doubt many schools have managed to dethrone those leviathans. I am sure that many universities have emerged over the last two-three decades, and that the number of excellent universities has probably doubled in that period of time, but the elite remain the same because they continue to lead and establish trends. That is not going to change anytime soon. Of course, one does not have to attend one of those pillars of education to receive an excellent undergraduate education. Any of the nation’s top 100 or so colleges or universities will provide the resources and environment for undergrads to flourish.</p>