THE COST OF A DEGREE.

Much interest has been aroused of late by the publication, by the Yale News, of certain figures relative to the cost of a degree at the average American college; and relying wholly on a superficial examination of these figures, many persons have been led into altogether false conclusions.

The "cost of a college education," as generally reckoned, includes the cost of living during the college term. What most people fail to realize is that board and lodging are inevitable items for every young man, and that their cost must be charged against him whether he is studying text-books in college, or account-books in a bank. At Harvard, strictly speaking, the cost of an "education" is two hundred dollars a year (the fee for tuition) plus somewhat more for text-books and similar items. Other expenses must of course be reckoned with; but they do not form a part of the charges for "education." A man must eat, sleep, and be clothed whether he be a student or a grocer's clerk. The only difference is that in many universities he can meet most items more cheaply than any where else, except in the home of his parents. At a university, also, there are many opportunities for part-time employment, of which a great number of students (more than is generally realized) avail themselves; and these must be given due entry on the credit side of the account.

When these facts are considered, the cost of a degree does not seem excessive. At Harvard, for instance, the cost of living for students has gone up, but by no means in the same proportion as elsewhere; while the cost of tuition has remained stationary for four years. Some persons have expressed fears that with the rising scale of expenses, the universities would fail to draw the same number of students of small resources. When all sides of the case are considered, it will be seen that there is little reason for such alarm as this.