Major League Baseball teams 
charge different prices based on seat locations, but also based on opponents. Movie theaters 
charge different prices for tickets depending on age (people over 65 and under 7 pay less amounts, educational status (students pay less), and time of day (a matinee showing cost less). Broadway and off-Broadway theaters rely on variable pricing, a concept not limited to entertainment. Hotels, airlines, and stylists represents other service-oriented markets that use variable pricing. Now, another service is moving towards variable pricing: U.S. universities 
.
Students earning degrees in business and engineering are expected to pay more in tuition and/or fees than students earning degrees in arts and science. Many of these programs have minimum grade point average requirements. Should ability to pay also represent a requirement? Will students, or their parents, choose degrees based on cost? Is the perceived advantage of a business degree literally worth than increase cost compared to a liberal arts degree? Don’t students with both types of degrees get jobs? If students in business or engineering colleges pay more than their peers in liberal arts, then should those students expect classes with smaller enrollment?
Variable Pricing Goes to College
April 13, 2007 · 50 Comments
Categories: Blog
50 responses so far ↓
whitneyw1 // April 14, 2007 at 10:47 am |
I think it is kind of rediculous that students getting business or engineering degrees are required to pay more than those who are getting art and sciences degrees. Just because a student decides to get a business degree that does not mean that they are any more financialy inclined than those seeking art and science degrees. I do think that if students are required to pay more to obtain a degree than they should recieve such perks as smaller enrollment in their classes. In my opinion that is the only fair way to offset the higher cost. I think that students may now be forced to choose a degree based on cost instead of their attraction to the degree. Many students may be highly interested in business or engineering but due to increased costs may be forced to choose a degree that has a lower financial impact.
ashleyh1 // April 14, 2007 at 1:01 pm |
I do not think that there should be variable pricing on tuition. Business degree or not, it is a bias towards those without a business degree. Even though people will say it is not, companies hiring college students will take notice that a student was willing to pay more money for their education and therefore are more serious about it. Or it could be the opposite where more arts and sciences majors will get hired more because there will be more of them and less business students. Plus, students could base their degree on the cost and slowly the business college would see a decline. I understand movies, theatres, and games having variable prices but not college.
risam1 // April 15, 2007 at 1:44 pm |
I think it is reasonable that some majors are more expensive than others. Who is more likely to get a better pay job in terms of common sense? Business student or communication student? I would say it is business student. The reason why many people want to obtain MBA is the guarantee of future career. I consider paying tuition as investment. It is not only for tuition. If you go to Stanford, you will more likely to get a better job. The quality of education is different, too. If you pay more, you will take it seriously to study hard. Business students and engineering students are expected to study hard, so paying higher tuition makes the student be sure to study hard in some degree. There is a higher possibility for them to get a job as well. Therefore, in terms of the return the student will take, it is reasonable that there is a difference in tuition. I think those students who pay more should expect classes with smaller enrolment.
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erich1 // April 15, 2007 at 7:10 pm |
Variable pricing, from the standpoint of profit, has probably always been a feasible option for making an extra dime. Getting an education from an accredited university is becoming more and more the standard for an American education. However, not everyone is financially supported enough to pay for such an education. I believe the ability to pay should rightfully be a closely monitored requirement in the payment process. But if it comes down to it, I do not believe students or their parents will decide what degree to pursue based on their cash value unless the student has no drive for any particular subject. I also do not believe the advantage, course for course, is worth the extra money; it is only that university officials recognize the high demand for such programs. I think although in being an engineering or business student and having to pay more, that we will only begin to accept the price increase because it has also shown in other areas, such as movies and sporting events, that we have all accepted variable pricing and learned to adapt. The perceived value that comes from paying more for the education may also make the demand for such degrees to increase along with the income accompanying potential business or engineering degree jobs.
codyj002 // April 15, 2007 at 8:26 pm |
That is the worst idea I think I have ever heard of. The only way a variable price should be charged is if the school is smaller or more prestigious than another school. I agree with some of the above stated comments about the cost of different degrees affecting students desire to enroll in them. A system like this would only further the distance in the financial gaps in America. If only the rich can afford to enroll in a certain degree, they will prevent new ideas and concepts from entering the field. With all the commotion we have about affirmative action, I could never see something like this coming to realization. The best students should be allowed the opportunity to enroll in whatever they want. When color of skin and financial background no longer plays a roll in our society then we have accomplished something. THEREFORE, until then we will continue to borrow from Peter to pay Paul.
robertc1 // April 15, 2007 at 10:28 pm |
I feel that variable pricing is only a good idea between schools, no majors. I agree with Cody J of section 2. Texas Tech should cost more than Angelo State University. However a student in the Rawls College of Business should not have to pay more than our friends across the way in the Art Department. All classes should cost the same. So I disagree with the original post about variable pricing between majors.
The point was brought up that if you paid a premium for class you should get perks. For example smaller classes. I completely agree with this notion. If you pony up you deserve to have smaller classes. Other than that it would be not a strong idea.
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ctirey // April 16, 2007 at 8:23 am |
Having different prices for movies, airplane tickets, and baseball tickets is a lot easier than changing the price of a degree. There is no way this could work at Texas Tech at least not now. I could understand people coming out of Northwestern or some of the other perennial power house business schools but not at a university where business school in its current state is not a well recognized business school. Unless they are paying for better staff and facilities then I think there is no way that you can change prices due to educational choices.
kendallk1 // April 16, 2007 at 11:19 am |
I think this is a terrible idea. First of all, who’s to say that someone with a business degree will end up in a better paying job than someone with a degree in the arts? I know plenty of people that have ended up in jobs that are totally unrelated to their undergraduate degrees. Actually, my favorite example of this is my older sister who got her undergraduate degree in poultry science (yeah, chickens) and now makes a killing as a mortgage consultant in Dallas. I would love to have a job like that when I graduate, and I don’t think that it’s fair at all to to charge people hundreds of dollars less for getting a degree in the arts/sciences than business students if some of them end up in the same jobs. Like some of you said, I think this might be able to work at a very prestigious school like Harvard simply because people would pay for the name, but at a school like Texas Tech, this would never work. Even if students that graduate with a business degree end up making a higher salary than someone with a degree in the arts, they won’t be earning that salary until after they graduate, so where does this extra money come from while they are in school? Also, some people would not be able to afford business classes that would like to take them, and they would not be able to get the degree they wanted simply because it costs more. This is probably just an attempt to get more money out of the students than they are already paying, and I think it is ridiculous.
lexib2 // April 16, 2007 at 12:50 pm |
Variable pricing is a very efficient method in most cases. However; I do not think it would be a beneficial method when applying it to college degree choices. Students should not be forced to pick a degree plan that isn’t a favorable choice to them because they are unable to afford their desired degree plan. Some college degrees already cost more in the long run than others because of the length and amount of school they require. For instance, med school will cost 3 times as much as a business degree because of the longevity of the program. If we raise the rates variably on degree plans we might be running short on different degree plans because of the increased loan debt rate. Currently, I feel that getting an education can be done fairly easy no matter what background or family income amount you come from. School is not the easiest equal opportunity act, but is most definitely reasonable. I feel that by making tuition variable to the student’s major, it will seperate people greatly on their families’ income and social status. I thought college was a way to change your social status and income, not stay stagnant? Would it really be worth the amount of money you pay to get an education if the school dictated what degree plan you were allowed to pursue?
kdurbin // April 16, 2007 at 1:01 pm |
I believe the ability to pay should not be a requirement for a college tuition. There should be a base cost that is paid by the student. If he or she can not afford it, then there are several other outlets that will help with the payment of tuition. If variable pricing is moved into the university system, then students will choose a degree based on cost. Especially if there is graduate school or law school in mind. If you attend law school, then your undergraduate degree is practically unless, so you might as well get the cheaper degree. Depending on which field your profession will be in is what is dependant upon how much the business degree is worth. If someone wants to be an upper-level manager at Dell, then yes the business degree is worth it. However, if the person wants to be an entrepreneur, then get the cheaper degree. Smaller enrollment will definitely be expected if business students are going to be expected to pay more, simply because not as many people will be able to afford it, or the perceived benefits will not be great enough.
emilys1 // April 16, 2007 at 3:19 pm |
I do not agree with variable pricing when it comes to Universities. I think it is very wrong to charge business and engineering majors higher tuition than arts and sciences majors. A student should not have to base his or her decision on their choice of major based on how much money they do or do not have for school. Variable pricing is really not fair for students like myself who have to put themselves through school by taking out loans. It really puts those students at a dissadvantage because they would be more inclined to pick an arts and sciences degree rather than a business degree because of the financial impact it would have on them. If variable pricing was implemented in Universities, it would be only fair if the students who were paying more tuition received smaller class sizes than those students who paid less.
nicolec1 // April 16, 2007 at 3:41 pm |
I dont think it is right to charge different amounts for different degrees. First of all, learning and getting an education should not be as expensive as it is right now. It is ridiculous the fees and tuition amounts we have to pay…and honestly, if you decide not to go to college and get a degree, you are pretty much screwed. Now days, most well paying jobs require a degree. So we have to pay thousands of dollars because society says “go to college or you are doomed”. I dont think a business degree should be worth more than an liberal arts degree. Most people go to school for something they actually have an interest in, not just the degree that will get them the job that pays the most money. So who is to say that students should pay more or less because they have different academic interests? I can understand different fees on movies and baseball game tickets because it is a choice to go to something like that. College is becoming less and less an option, and more a norm. Also, alot of students just dont have the means to pay for college, so does this mean they will be more discouraged in going to school for something they are good at versus a cheaper degree? This just doesnt seem fair and I cant find a reason I would ever agree with charging more for one degree than another.
jalderson2 // April 16, 2007 at 5:53 pm |
I also don’t agree that different degrees should be more or less money than others. I chose business because I wanted to have a job that will provide for my family and be a starting block for my financial success in life. The key to my last sentence is “starting block”, a business degree is not a given that you will make more or be more sucessful than a liberal arts graduate. If I wasnt being more respoible and money was not a further issue in my life, I would studyign something that I am very interested in that does not deal with money. Adding to that, a college degree seems to be worth less and less these days; we are a dime a dozen. I am not going to pay and do more work than someone that took a easier less exspensive road than me if it all results in the same outcome. Another thing about students and families being allowed to not attend and trya nd be whatever they want, does this mean this is not the country of opportunites? Sounds a little communist to me. Keep school the same besides the 50% increase we are seeing every year for less technology, more students, less educated teachers and higher standards.
elizabethb1 // April 16, 2007 at 6:48 pm |
I too do not agree with charging different prices for different undergraduate degrees. The article sited in the blog states some good questions about access, equity, and pursuit of knowledge. Are we supposed to be even more financially limited to study certain areas than others? We are young and still figuring out what we want to do with our lives, and we should not be punished if we change our minds in what we choose to study. The article also speaks about America needing to strengthen its position in the sciences. So if prices were to increase for any type of science major, are we turning away some students that could strengthen our need for enginnering students. I guess in the end it is really up to the private and public universities, but I think public should stay equal on all levels.
saraf2 // April 16, 2007 at 9:05 pm |
Charging different prices for different degree plans would not work. Students are constantly changing their majors or come into college as undecided. If there were different prices put on different majors, then many students would pick the least expenisve major and get that degree. Some parents pay for their childrens education or have a fund set up prior. Students might then pick the cheapest route in hopes of being able to keep the leftover profit that was not spent to educate them further. Or the people who take out loans would be at a disadvantage paying them back because the rates would change or if a degree becomes more popular then they could increase the tuition on that major and not others. Varying rates has a lot to do with the popularity of an area. For airlanes, they keep track of where people like to travel the most and try to keep that rate reasonably high, and lower other flights prices to try to attract more customers elsewhere.
patrickm2 // April 17, 2007 at 12:01 am |
Based on potential earning, I would support a price differential. A Psychology major should not have to pay the same as someone in business that is likely to make 10,000 more dollars a year. This situation negatively affect the ability of the college to recruit students and I think a low starting salary is one deterrent to most students. If the college itself was cheap, more students would be encouraged to pursue this major. One area I would like to see is a decrease in tuition for students looking to get a degree in Education. Teachers are important in the future development of our country as a whole. The Public institution of education and its inability to pay teachers the salary they deserve are threatening to severely limit the education field from some of the better student who are more interested in living comfortable.
retzi2285 // April 17, 2007 at 7:52 am |
It seems that value pricing set on something such as tuition would be a bit discriminatory. I think it would be unfair to conlude that a student recieving a degree in business should pay more than someone in a field that may provide lesser returns, when family financial status, where a person is from, and the future of the job they obtain cannot be factored in to determine if they can adequately afford the price variation. I don’t believe that a necessary cheaper price would be an incentive for someone to chose a degree other than the expensive classes just based on price alone, because in the end its going to be what the person wants to do with the future of their lives. To me this price gap would be an extreme hinderance to people who would like to be in a particular field, even though they my recieve a higher income than someone like a teacher. If these universities go so far as to price value on the type of classes, why not on something base it something like GPA or standardized testing scores, wouldn’t that be a better indicator? I think the way they are putting an emphasis on price due to the certian degree, it devalues that of other majors-stating that someone who wants to be a teacher just isn’t that important.
charlese1 // April 17, 2007 at 9:11 am |
It is outrageous how a college can use price discrimination depending on what college you are in at a university. When it comes to college, the ability to pay should not be an issue if you truly set your heart on earning a degree. The university has no right to deny a person that right depending on their financial background. I don’t think that kids will start choosing other degrees based on cost because my generation is very passionate about setting a goal and reaching it no matter what. A business degree is deffinetly worth the advantage of being more successful over a liberal arts degree due to the large amount of job openings in the business world. You may save some money by choosing a liberal arts degree in college but in the end you will have more money with a business degree. You will land a job with what ever degree you get, but a business or engineering degree is an investment that will reap benefits for years to come. The class sizes should be smaller in the business school if the prices are going to be higher. The university owes us that upper edge on other degrees if the price is going to be higher than other colleges in a university. I prefer equality with pricing, but variable pricing won’t be the downfall of business schools in the near future.
lynsmith // April 17, 2007 at 9:45 am |
I am split on this situation. Of course being a business major I feel that this is horrible. I don’t think it’s fair that because I want a marketing degree I should have to pay more in tuition. You could say that business majors will make more money than the arts and science majors, but that is not fair to look at. A lot of people major and get a degree in one field and then go the opposite route. My cousin received her degree in english and not is working in business. If this happens to take place are they going to require you to now get a job in the field you majored in? I think that this will affect how many engineering or business students a college has. The other side of me kind of sees where they are going with this idea. Everyone in my immediate family is in education. I have a lot of friends that are education majors and I feel really bad for them. They have to color pages and do 2nd grade level math. I feel sorry for them because they are majoring in what they want to do but are not getting their moneys worth. That is just my opinion. If I were them that is how I would feel because when they graduate they do not have a nice salary option in the future. On the same note, teachers do get summer and all holidays off so it balances out a little. If variable pricing were to take place in the future it would not be the downfall of all engineering and business schools. I would hope that it wouldn’t happen, but if it does class sizes should definitely be smaller and more benefites should come with being those majors.
jonas427 // April 17, 2007 at 11:18 am |
Ability to pay should be a requirement, and it is. If you can’t find a way to pay for school, too bad. Students and parents may have to choose degrees based on cost. That’s how the world works. You can buy what you can afford. In dollars and cents I would guess that the average person with a business degree will earn more in his or her life time than a person with a liberal arts degree. For the most part artists don’t really thrive financially. They are probably getting their degrees for another reason anyways. I haven’t talked to any liberal arts people that said “I want to be a money man when I grow up.” Let the colleges charge whatever prices they want. The market will settle everything.
julianneb1 // April 17, 2007 at 1:28 pm |
I think that all degrees should cost the same. Are they trying to charge more because they think people that come out of those majors typically make more money? If they do decide to charge more for these majors I definately think there should be more perks. Such as career counseling, smaller classes, advisors have a small number of students so that they can know more personally the needs of their students, etc. I don’t feel that as of now there’s a need to raise just engineering and business degrees. What about those in medical school?
meascott // April 17, 2007 at 1:56 pm |
I completely disagree with the statement that “if you can’t find a way to pay for school, too bad. ” Not everyone came from a background to where they can afford to pay for college on their own. And making it to where a certain major costs more money could deter certain people from choosing a specific major that they might have been dreaming of since they were 5. I understand that yes Engineers will probably make more money in the long run, but not necassarily. There could be an artists that makes millions and an engineer that can’t find a job. All in all that is not a fair decision to make.
williamj2 // April 17, 2007 at 3:00 pm |
I can understand where a university would want to charge different rates for different degrees, but it is completely unfair to the students. Besides specialized professions such as teachers, lawyers, engineers, and doctors most students that are getting their degrees are going to be all looking for jobs regardless of what their degree actually is. Presently even having a degree doesn’t absolutely guarantee yourself a job, so why should you be charged more or less depending on what you want to graduate with? Wanting to obtain your masters in something is completely different, but undergraduate tuition should remain constant with every other undergraduate degree.
kupatter1984 // April 17, 2007 at 6:12 pm |
I disagree that it is ok to charge more to students based on what degree they are trying to get. There are price breaks in many of the things people like to do such as kids eat cheaper if they are under a certain age. Does it make things more attractive if there is a price break. Remember when your mom told you to lie about your age when you could? It is all about saving a dollar. Would a student get an art and science degree if it were cheaper to get than a business degree? Many college graduates are in jobs currently that may not be related to their degree. I look at the price discrimination as a positive for some students who want to go to a big school but maybe cannot afford some degree programs. As long as the price difference does not become to large of a gap I personally would not and do not care that I have to pay more just because I am getting a certain degree.
evaughan2 // April 17, 2007 at 9:41 pm |
I understand the concept of variable pricing and agree that in many service situaions the price can vary. I mean being a girl I am willing to pay more for a haircut, I assume that the price reflects the quality of the service. But as for different degrees from the same university, I don’t agree. To me it seems they would be saying that one degree would be more valuable than other. So then does that mean that business majors are getting a better education than others? You would think that no matter what the major, the school shouldn’t be charging more for one over another. To me it seems that the college wouldn’t be taking the less expensive major as seriously as the others. And that is ike saying, that the students aren’t as important and neither is what they are learning, and that is ridiculous!
brandont1 // April 17, 2007 at 10:33 pm |
I’m actually surprised that this hasn’t come along sooner. Almost everything we deal with today is customized and variably priced. I do not agree with the idea however. An instituition does not differ that greatly across the colleges to offer variable rates on degree types. It does however from institution to institution, which is why we pay accordingly. You pay for that level of education and the name (association) to that institution.
brookea2 // April 18, 2007 at 12:32 am |
I do not think that there should be variable pricing based on degrees. Business majors are required for almost every company or organization out there. There needs to be somebody to run a business, and I do not think that we should be almost punished for our business-oriented talents. If they do decide to implement this, there needs to be a massive increase in scholarships for our business majors, because I guarantee that cost-conscious parents and students will think twice before majoring in a degree that costs more money. The government is making it very difficult for every student to go to college, and this is just another factor or making a degree an impressive accomplishment.
travish1 // April 18, 2007 at 9:54 am |
Everything has a price tag attached to it somewhere even if you dont see it at first. When you go to college it is not always about how much money that you plan to make when you get out but that would not be the case if you asked certain students. Not all students are in college for money some are in it to find something they love and enjoy and get out and do the same thing. Most students that are in college again can barely afford it to begin with so they usually cant afford to take longer than 3-4 years unless they get some help and that is hard enough as is. As you mentioned business and engineering degrees pay the most they re also some of the hardest to get a degree in and thus eventually pay for themselves as long as you dont get sick of them after you graduate.
koltb2 // April 18, 2007 at 10:37 am |
As many of the other students have mentioned, increasing the tuition will only limit the creativity of individuals. I think increasing tuition for specific degrees would only cause problems. In my opinion, putting separate price tags on education suggests one person is not as important as another. This is just one example of how variable pricing on college tuition would do more bad than good.
carlym2 // April 18, 2007 at 11:16 am |
I don’t think students should pay different prices for their college degrees. I don’t think a very intelligent person that comes from a low income family should base his/her college degree on how much they can afford. This would prevent students not to fulfill their dreams. I do believe that each college or universities have different tuition rates, but not set different prices for each degree offered. However if this was to happen, the higher priced degrees should hold smaller classes than the lower priced degrees that were offered. The higher priced degrees should also get the best of the best professors. In my opinion, paying different rates for each degree is complete different from paying variable prices such as movie and athletic tickets.
ricardoc2 // April 18, 2007 at 12:37 pm |
Variable pricing may not be the worst idea in consideration for universities. I personally put much more value on a business or engineering degree than I do on other degrees. However, if I were to pay more for a business degree then I would expect desired perks such as a smaller class population. I would definitely be in favor of such variable pricing because it adds even more value to certain degrees.
maryc1 // April 18, 2007 at 3:34 pm |
I don’t think if is fair to charge different prices for different degrees. I know that the degrees will render different job that will have different salaries but people know that going in. If people choose to do more work and get a harder degree then they deserve more money perhaps, but it should not be decided based on price. I feel that many people will choose their degree based on the price. People will want to take out the least amount of loans that are manageable to pay off rather that take the gamble and pay more for a degree that may or may not give them a job.
kyleb2 // April 18, 2007 at 5:24 pm |
I completely disagree with companies charging more for different events and tuition fees for different majors. It is not fair for some students who are intelligent but can not afford to take some classes because of the prices. Back in the day there were no requirements for different majors, if you wanted to be in a certain major you could just be in it. Just like Tech raising tuition so you have to pay for 15 hours no matter what is not fair. Students who take out loans are going to cost them more and more each year. It’s just away for companies to get more money. Everyone wants to be rich and successful so I understand why they do it, but they should have a limit on how much they can charge
micheller2 // April 18, 2007 at 5:25 pm |
I do not think that there should be variable pricing on tuition. I agee with Koltb2 that putting separate price tags on education suggests one person is not as important as another, that is like saying, that the students aren’t as important and neither is what they are learning, and that is ridiculous!
jakeg2 // April 18, 2007 at 8:24 pm |
Variable pricing is just an example of a normal sale. It is well known that front row seats are going to cost more than seats in the backrow. I think that because of our American upbringing it is a well known fact that products that appear the same can be very different based on the buyer, time, date, and importance. This is no big deal because I think that elder people and children deserve the price cut, but there is one group of people out there that get amazing price cuts that dont deserve them. I am talking about girls and cover charges/free drinks. This is something that is expected now, and is hurting men’s pockets everywhere. This has to be against the bill of rights or something.
tburleson1 // April 19, 2007 at 8:04 am |
The business college at Texas Tech probably has the highest enrollment of any other college on campus. As the school of Business becomes more popular, the GPA requirement becomes higher. With all of the student loans available, I think anybody can afford it if they think it is important to them. I believe variable pricing is a way of controlling demand. Having a degree from an Ivy League school is very desirable for many people; therefore you have to pay more to attend one of these schools. If one of these schools cost the same amount to attend as Texas Tech does, they simply could not enroll everyone that applied. Higher prices and GPA requirements may not seem fair, but I believe it is a very effective approach to controlling demand. In the end, it is your choice to get a college degree, whether or not you can afford it depends on how bad you want it.
bethanyh2 // April 19, 2007 at 9:31 am |
Our society relies on fairness. If we want to enforce concepts such as equal opportunity and affirmative action then we cannot turn around and contradict our values by making education a ranking of prices. I think making business and engineering classes more expensive insinuates that they have more significance than arts or human sciences when success ultimately depends on how the student applies the information given to him/her.
If classes do have to vary in price then I think it should be a result of the quality of the professor teaching the class or the extra materials needed to complete it. Science classes require labs, equipment ,and various chemicals; shouldn’t these classes that cost the university more to operate come with a higher price tag? The only materials you need in business classes are calculators which has been a necessity since high school, so most students should have already purchased them. I would pay the higher price though, and that is why unfair situations like this keep appearing. People will complain but still pay the tuition bill.
eriny2 // April 19, 2007 at 1:32 pm |
I do not believe that variable pricing should be applied to college tuition. While it may work for movie theaters, sports events, and plays, charging different prices for different degrees will not be beneficial in my opinion. Students should be allowed to choose their degrees based on interest, not something like cost. If US Universities were to charge more for a business or engineering degree, students could end up with a degree that they don’t enjoy. College alone is expensive and charging more for certain degrees could dissuade students to get degrees in that area. Business and engineering degrees could be worth more, but that’s generally because they are said to have harder classes and work loads. I believe that that alone should be the determinant if a student gets a job right out of college. If the student earns the degree and earns the better job then so be it.
kellis1 // April 19, 2007 at 2:05 pm |
In my opinion variable pricing should not be allowed for different degrees at universities. This would only discourage applicants looking to receive a degree in engineering or business. Yes, this would allow these degrees to be deemed with more “prestige” or whatever the university wants to call it, but its just not right. A college degree is a college degree. Yes a business or engineering degree may have a more difficult curriculum than that of a education degree, but that shouldnt be displayed in the cost. Students entering into universities shouldnt have to consider cost when choosing a degree. Also, many argue that students who pay more for these degrees will in turn earn more in the workforce because of their type of degree, but this isnt always the case. Getting that great job out of college isnt just about your degree, its about alot of things: who you know, personality, work ethic, etc. I believe this is not a wise choice for universities.
brettb1 // April 19, 2007 at 3:08 pm |
I don’t see how you could possibly introduce variable pricing to a university like Texas Tech. It is ridiculous to make one major pay more than another. You canot use funding or class size as an excuse for this either because if the classes are too big that means there are more students than before, meaning more tuition than before, meaning the business school should get more funding than before to hire more teachers to reduce class sizes. The only way I could see anyone not being really angry about this is if it were a highly prestigious school, and most of those already cost an arm and a leg anyway so it might be hard to introduce
rachelc1 // April 19, 2007 at 5:33 pm |
I think it is absurd that a student working toward a business or engineering degree would have to pay more than a student working toward a liberal arts degree. I think variable pricing on tuition is an issue that would raise a lot of concerns. It is disappointing that our society would be moving toward this direction. Admission to various competitive schools is stressful enough, without having to worry about additional fees due to your major. Schools each year around the country are raising their prices on tuition and the increase of cost on education needs to stop somewhere. If universities were to charge different tuition fees for different majors, I think this would discourage many students in different ways. There are many qualified individuals that would love to take a business class, but then couldn’t because in the end it was too expensive. I agree with many comments above that it is ridiculous to charge different fees on majors because who knows where people will end up establishing a career. For a university to say in a way that one major is better than another due to cost is just an insane thought. We live in a society today where we should be able to study whatever we want without differnt priced majors.
jessicac2 // April 19, 2007 at 6:45 pm |
Charging students different prices for different degrees is completely unnecessary. I believe an education is valuable no matter what area of study you practiced. I do understand if a college such as architecture may have a slightly higher tuition due to supplies and materials cost, but charging differently based on books and professor’s salary is inappropriate. I don’t just feel this way because I am a business student, even if I was being charged less than any other Tech student, I would see it as unfair. The tuition costs should remain consistent throughout the university so that no student is limited in their choice of major. It would be such a tragedy for a student to feel that they couldn’t major in their passionate area because their parents or they couldn’t afford such a degree. Our government always seems to push education and never leaving a child behind; that I can’t believe they would let this happen. I don’t know if it’s up to state or federal laws, but the possibility of a fine education of your picking would be a freedom stripped away if variable pricing became an issue.
marcusk1 // April 19, 2007 at 8:24 pm |
I agree with the other recent post. I do not like the idea of variable pricing. Our education should not be valued at how much we pay in whatever school or degree we get, but from what we get from it. Varible costing just seem fair, it is almost like saying one school is more important than the other. I also do not think it is fair how other universities tuition rates affect Techs and other schools. I know that our different universities compete on having better education, but price is totally different.
ashleyd2 // April 19, 2007 at 8:37 pm |
I cannot belive that colleges are even considering charging us more depending on our degree. Just because we have a certain degree, that does not promise that we will get a certain income. I understand charging more for what school you get you degree from, but I can not understand the reasoning behind what degree/field you decide to go into. What do these people think of actors (someone who normally has an art degree) getting paid 20 million dollars to do ONE flim. I can probably guess that someone with a business or engineering degree would like to make that much m0ney for a few months work.
lesleyh1 // April 20, 2007 at 9:19 am |
I dont think it is fair to have different tuition prices based on degrees. I agree that each degree gets a job. Why are business and engineering being singled out? I am afraid that if they make this decision that people might choose the cheaper degree. This could lead to enrollment down in engineering and business colleges just because of the cost. If this does go through, I think there should be smaller classes for the more expensive degrees. There should even be more options available to them, like a food court, personal computer lounge, study area and other services. I dont think that universities should increase the cost of certain degrees, but if they do, business and engineering students should have some additional perks!
christopherf2 // April 20, 2007 at 11:01 am |
I can understand why a university may do this, but I don’t think it is very fair. First, the school is sending the wrong message to other people in other majors. They are basically saying that a “liberal arts” degree is inferior to a business degree. Obviously a business degree isn’t better, it is just becoming more popular. Therefore I think they are doing this to cut down on the overall enrollment in particular business schools. However, I do agree that if business students are going to pay more for school then they should expect the class size to be smaller.
chrisc2 // April 20, 2007 at 3:13 pm |
This is an interesting topic. One might say that the opportunity of making more money with a business degree is present; therefore making it more expensive for those majors would be enough of a reason. I am not saying that it should be; I just am trying to think logically. I can see where someone might think that all information, in the form of a degree plan, is not equal in value. Just take a look at textbooks. Some biology textbooks can cost upward of $400 for one book! How do you measure the value of information in that text book compared to, oh lets say, my Consumer Behavior text book that only cost me $100? I really don’t know. Maybe they have some research data or some computer program that tells them how much they should charge for tuition based on a major. I don’t think right now is the time to have variable pricing at the university level. It seems that they are “taxing” those that choose popular majors that have a lot of operations cost. Maybe this is something to look into, but it seems like it will inadvertently cause people to flock toward those majors or avoid them solely based on cost.
iana1 // April 20, 2007 at 3:19 pm |
Variable pricing for education is not a good idea. College is already incredibly expensive, and for those who are already barely able to pay tuition it will be devastating. Maybe the reasoning behind it is to weed out the people who really want to do business and those who just chose it because they dont know what else to pick. Which in a way makes sense, but is not quite fair to those who chose to do the business program because it is what they like. If we do have to pay more then we better be getting red carpet treatment and special privileges of some sort. Some people above me say smaller class sizes would be a good thing to have for paying more and i agree. But will this happen because less people can afford it? or because they are hiring more professors and/or having more class times
treyk1 // April 20, 2007 at 3:45 pm |
I think that it is a good idea in theory. You get what you pay for is usually a good motto. If someone is getting a better education, why not make them pay more? The big problem I see with the program is setting it up. It would be an absolute nightmare. Sure, you could count all the professor’s and administrative assistant’s salaries and the utilities for that particular building, but what about common areas? Sure it could be done, that is what accountants live for, I just don’t see the benefits outweighing the cost. Even after putting the system into effect, you would still have the problem that most everyone else mentioned…people are going to go for the cheaper degree. From what I’m hearing, a Bachelor’s degree is the new HS diploma, who cares what it’s in as long as you have it? Why not take the cheapest route?
kerrig2 // April 20, 2007 at 9:53 pm |
I don’t think variable pricing for college is a good idea. The pricing system is already extremely confusing and shouldn’t be further complicated. Also, it would force people into majors that they may not want to be in. I know I didn’t decide what major I wanted to do until halfway through my sophomore year. For those students that are unsure, they will most likely just pick the cheapest major. Then a few semesters down the road they’ll realize what they really want to do but will be turned off by the increase in price. These people will be stuck studying something that they aren’t even interested in. This approach may make classes smaller for some majors like business, but what would happen to the human science classes? They would get much larger, forcing schools to hire more professors. If the main goal here is to increase revenues, schools may be surprised when the oppostie happens. I think that variable pricing would cause too many unwanted shifts in enrollment.
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