LOL. I’m well aware of that lake. Funny, though, Minnesotans don’t seem to have nearly as much trouble getting around it as Wisconsinites. And the University of Michigan draws ample students from much farther away than Wisconsin, lake or no lake. No, I don’t think Lake Michigan is such an impenetrable barrier. It’s mostly just that Wisconsinites are satisfied with UW-Madison, and either don’t see Michigan as much of a step up, or not enough of one to be worth paying more for. But not many Wisconsinites attend elite private colleges and universities, either, for much the same reason.
“Lost its mission”? I don’t think so. The University of Michigan still educates thousands of state residents in every class, at a tuition rate approximately 1/3 what it charges OOS students, and unlike the vast majority of public flagships including its sister public Big Ten institutions (cough! cough!) it meets 100% of need for Michigan residents. The University subsidizes residents of the state far more heavily than the state’s taxpayers subsidize the University through legislative appropriations. The people of Michigan are getting a great deal–a truly world-class university that they essentially no longer pay for, unless they attend in which case they’re getting a great bargain. The state began to de-fund the University 30 or 35 years ago. So the University needed to carve out a new model as more or less a public/private hybrid. A key part of the strategy was to build the endowment, which at $10 billion is now the 9th largest of any college or university, public or private. Another key part was leveraging the University’s formidable research capacity into a mighty engine of research grant funding, now standing at well over $1 billion annually. And yes, the University made active efforts to attract highly qualified OOS students, who not only bring in more tuition revenue but also add talent, strength, and diversity to the undergraduate student body. The result is that the Michigan residents who do attend are able to be part of a much stronger university, financially, intellectually, and in the breadth and diversity of its student body. They’re getting an outstanding deal. As for those Michigan residents who are unable to attend because they don’t make the cut at admissions time–well, that’s always been the case, though perhaps it becomes more painful as admissions standards continue to rise. And yes, it helps to have Michigan State to pick up the slack.