A surprising number of counter-intuitive factors are at play, driving college tuitions and financial aid decisions. And these factors are different at elite private schools, public universities, community colleges, and for-profit diploma schools.

Why it matters? College tuitions are going up at an unsustainably fast rate. Student debt is doing the same thing. Meanwhile, a growing number of European nations (e.g., Germany) have moved to provide free college for their residents. How will the US compete with them in a knowledge-based global economy?