I agree with you, but this varies between countries. Americans seem to pay a lot more which makes it hard to appreciate either the personal or social benefits. In the UK people have before more focused on subjects as its become more expensive over the decades.
In England (Scotland, Wales and NI are a bit different) its £10k/year for fees (except three or four universities), plus living costs (which will vary depending where you are). Fees plus an amount for living costs (reduced as parental income rises, and you get more if studying in London) can be funded by a student loan, which has returned to interest at the rate of inflation (it was higher, and close to commercial rates for a few years, very unfairly on those in that scheme).
This is not as good as some European countries, but it seems to be a lot cheaper than the US. its hard to compare because fees vary a lot more and American universities are more generous with financial aid. What I can say is that parents in the UK do not spend a lot of time worrying about how to pay for university.
In England (Scotland, Wales and NI are a bit different) its £10k/year for fees (except three or four universities), plus living costs (which will vary depending where you are). Fees plus an amount for living costs (reduced as parental income rises, and you get more if studying in London) can be funded by a student loan, which has returned to interest at the rate of inflation (it was higher, and close to commercial rates for a few years, very unfairly on those in that scheme).
This is not as good as some European countries, but it seems to be a lot cheaper than the US. its hard to compare because fees vary a lot more and American universities are more generous with financial aid. What I can say is that parents in the UK do not spend a lot of time worrying about how to pay for university.