True, but I would still use the base cost, and not the adjusted cost. Even though many students may not be paying the full tuition, that money is coming from somewhere, be it grants, scholarships, endowment funds, loans, etc. In economic terms, a dollar is a dollar, and if it were cheaper to attend schools, that means a greater number can attend at lower costs. Money is a finite resource regardless of the source, so if that same pool of dollars is used to educate a larger group, then that is a much better outcome.

Quote Originally Posted by hucareshokiesrul View Post
That can be pretty hard to calculate, though, because of how financial aid works. For most students, especially at private schools, the tuition doesn't really reflect what they pay. It would certainly be nice for there to be less ambiguity, there