Since the beginning of the 20th century, university education has been accessible to all those who wish to develop their knowledge in a specific professional field. Currently in the United States, the percentage of high school graduates going to college has increased considerably: 68% in 2011 compared to 49% in 1940 (Menand, 2) and the record reached in 2009 with 70% of all high school graduates enrolled. in college (“Bureau of Labor Statistics”). Nonetheless, it has come to the attention of many that tuition and fees have been increasing at an accelerating rate. According to the New York Times, tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007 (Lewin, 1). This lavish increase prevents many citizens from obtaining a higher education; furthermore, creating debate about whether a college education is overvalued or whether it constitutes a valuable professional and educational experience. Despite the price increase, I believe the college experience provides the tools necessary to develop a skill set that will also lead to a successful career. Going back to the turn of the century, it can be witnessed that most people wanted to attend Ivy League universities such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Standford, etc. Over the years, as the SATs and other standardized tests developed, there was a way to separate the smartest high school graduates from the least prepared ones. Furthermore, this has allowed public and state universities to be more accommodating to other sectors of the population. The main problem is that most students are more attracted to the social aspects of college than the academic ones. Higher education is at...... middle of document ......ww.bls.gov/news.release/hsgec.nr0.htm>.("Bureau of Labor Statistics")Lewin, Tamar, . “College could become unaffordable for most in the United States.” New York Times. Np, 2008. Web. 3 April 2012. .(Lewin, Tamar)Menand, Louis, . “A CRITIC IN THE WIDE Live and find out why we have college..” The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 2011. Web. April 3, 2012. .(Menand, Louis)Pappano, L.. "The Master as the New Bachelor." New York Times. Np, 2011. Web. April 6, 2012. “Why College Students Stop Short of Graduating.” Reuters. Np, 2012. Web. 6 April 2012. .