As a UCLA alumnus, I must admit a sense of favoritism toward the University of California system. However, the drastic increase in price that I paid for school, from 2008 until 2012, pushes me to assess my alma mater and the UC system with a critical eye. One can look at world rankings, the number of Nobel laureates, or NCAA titles (UCLA has the most with 108.... cough, cough) that a school boasts and assume that the institution is doing well. Still, there is something important for a high quality educational system besides prestige and athletics: affordability. Tuition at the University of California has more than doubled since 2008 such that student contributions now exceed that of the state government: estimated average student expenditure was $8,540 compared to $6,770 provided by state general funds in 2011-2012.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/11148/high-college-tuition-at-ucla-hurts-the-economy
