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The Commodification of the College Degree

College today often feels less like an opportunity to learn — and more like something being sold to us. Rising tuition, luxury amenities, branding campaigns, rankings, and student debt didn’t appear out of nowhere. They are the result of decades of policy decisions, funding shifts, and ideological changes that transformed higher education from a public investment into a market-driven commodity. In this video, I trace how we got here: What “commodification” actually means in higher education How public colleges were originally funded and why tuition was once so low The role of the Morrill Acts, land-grant universities, and post–World War II expansion Who was excluded from early public higher education — and why that still matters How state disinvestment, neoliberal ideology, and competition reshaped universities Why students are treated like consumers — but without consumer protections And who is most harmed when education is treated as a private gamble instead of a public good This isn’t just a conversation about rising costs. It’s about what we believe higher education is for — and who we believe it should serve. 🎓 Want to Learn More About the Morrill Acts & HBCUs? In this video, I briefly reference the Morrill Acts and how land-grant funding shaped American higher education. If you want a deeper breakdown — especially around the Second Morrill Act of 1890 and the creation of HBCUs — check out my full video here: 👉    • What is an HBCU? And Why Do They Exist?   💬 Join the Conversation Do you see college as a public responsibility — or a private investment? What do you think higher education should look like moving forward? Drop your thoughts in the comments. I’d love to hear how this resonates with your own experience. 🔍 Topics Covered Higher education history College costs Student loan debt Public vs private investment Commodification of education Land-grant universities HBCUs GI Bill State funding Education policy