<p>^ But mikemac, you haven’t produced a single example of an industry in which higher production costs overall are taken as indicia of superior quality. All you’ve done is pointed to particular production inputs or consumer products or services for which there’s a more costly alternative competing with a less costly alternative. Yes, sometimes you’ll pay more for particular products or inputs that have qualities that make them superior to their less costly rivals. But look at any of the INDUSTRIES you’ve talked about. Computer manufacturers, car manufacturers, car rental companies, hotels—all are in a relentless chase to REDUCE their production costs if they can do so without reducing product quality. Yes, sometimes in certain top-of-the-line models or brands they’ll use some costlier components. In other models they’ll use less costly components. But even for their top-of-the-line products, if they can find a cheaper way to deliver the product at comparable quality, they’ll do so because it’s money in the bank for them. USNWR makes the opposite assumption—that as production costs rise, so does product quality. And that’s just as false in higher education as in any other industry. I stand by my earlier claim. industry</p>