Anybody Else Wonder Why College is Such a Bundle?

Customer variance explains variety in product sale; from fast food to computers, the options range in price- a one dimensional measurement- and also quality as defined by numerous dimensions.

Apple Computers, for example, sells cheaper products and more expensive products that fill very nearly the same role. Within the categories "cheap" and "expensive" they supply a number of options with different sorts of advantages. The Mac Mini is distinct from the iPad, the Macbook distinct from the iMac, but all four can be applied to the same sorts of consumers: people looking to buy a computer.

Why don't colleges do the same thing?

Now, obviously, within the category "college" there are options-- Harvard's a good fit for some, BYU's a better fit for others, CU Boulder for still others and so on. But the many idiosyncrasies that define these choices account for a wide array of possible factors that customers might appreciate. Within the category "extremely gifted", Harvard may tempt the market- but what about the sub-category of extremely gifted: "rather poor" or "otherwise unwilling to spend"? Like other colleges, Harvard only offers Harvard-- the full Harvard experience. You'll have access to a free library, and other various resources at no additional expense, but only because you already "bought it" as a piece of tuition.

Imagine a Smashburger- a high quality burger joint- where your only option was to buy everything on the menu at once. If you didn't want to dish out so much cash, sure, you can always run to McDonald's- but McDonald's isn't the same for a host of different reasons.                 

Any given college-- to which uniqueness renders an array of potentially desirable qualities-- seems only to offer a "bundle", where some customers might be happier with just a piece of that bundle. Furthermore, by offering their many services free of additional charge, those services which center around scarcity can easily become crowded and overused. See my earlier post here for a good example.

I'm tempted to say this is rooted in deeper, more fundamental problems with the college education system, which I'll explain in more detail at another time. If anyone else has an idea or has considered this before, they're welcome to offer a simpler explanation.