Higher Tuition at the University of California

The University of California's Board of Regents agreed yesterday to raise undergraduate tuition by 32 percent. This had a predictable effect:

Hundreds of students from campuses across the state demonstrated ... More than 5,000 students demonstrated outside Sproul Hall at Berkeley

The increase is exactly the right thing to do, of course; the only problem is that it does not go far enough.

No good argument exists for state colleges or universities; the private sector does an excellent job.

A reasonable although oft-exaggerated argument exists for helping low-income students afford college, but this implies means-tested vouchers, not state-run higher education.

So California's tuition increase is a step in the right direction; its universities should mimic elite private universities by setting a high official tuition rate, while discounting that rate for those of limited means. Better yet, California should simply privatize the entire university system.