"That’s true enough, but how is that different from the likely case that my kids’ first few apartments/homes will also be below the standard of my home? I had a 30-45 year head start to upgrade my standard of living "
-I cannot explain any more than I said. As I mentioned that most from many countries abroad will consider the USA college dorm luxurious but at the same time, these people will consider the USA prison standard of living as luxurious. So, I do not think that we should consider these type of opinions. Other than that, the dorms are sub-standard in comparison to non-dorm living and that fact is NOT considered by most to be a barrier in attending any specific college. However, there are others who prefer a more comfortable living. I know examples, when kids simply could not tolerate a dorm living, they transfer to hometown college and live with their parents instead. Nothing wrong with that, it is just another option that saves a lot of time. A kid ends up being served by parents with all the living needs that the kid has. Not such a poor choice at all.