Ranking List Most Schools Don’t Want to Be on: 25 Most Expensive US Schools by Business Insider

[SJ2727]

@blossom

It is paradoxical that a public U should have so much conspicuous consumption- but it tracks with what folks in many states have observed as well. I don’t know why you think “gunning for the pinnacle of consumerism” is a particular quality limited to expensive U’s when the “market” evidence seem to be everywhere. Someone is buying the $100 hoodies and fancy handbags- and if you believe the TikToks, it’s not where you think the money and the consumerism is living.

I believe it was someone on these boards who said that because their cost of attendance at the school was lower than elsewhere they could spend some large amount on dorm decor, etc.
All of which is also to point out that conspicuous consumption is not directly correlated to wealth. But the conspicuous consumption is what fellow students (and faculty) see. The quiet indicators of wealth (such as flying off somewhere fun every vacation period) are less obvious, especially to people not in the immediate friend group of those people.