The college-cost calamity http://www.economist.com/node/21559936 After Leadership Crisis Fueled by Distance-Ed Debate, UVA will put Free Classes Online http://chronicle.com/article/After-Leadership-Crisis-Fueled/132917/ Why the Education Bubble Will Be Worse Than the Housing Bubble http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/economic-intelligence/2012/06/12/the-government-shouldnt-subsidize-higher-education Book Review: "The Higher Education Bubble" http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jul/25/education-bubble-toil-and-trouble/ Is College Over? http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/2011/08/is-college-over/ College Costs: Find out how much college costs http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/collegecost/collegecost.html As young people get ready for the first days of college, there will be talk of leaving home for a new environment and the promise of an exciting and interesting new intellectual setting. Institutions of higher education are changing as much as these young people, and there may be rocky shoals ahead. The Economist reported last week that long-term debt at not-for-profit universities in the United States has been growing at 12% a year. Some universities have been increasing their debt by paying for high-profile items like rock-climbing walls in student athletic facilities, a vast array of specialty programs, facilities, and so on. Since 2001, the cost of tuition has increased from 23% of median annual earnings to 38%. There is talk of a bubble, which the economist Glenn Reynolds has predicted will burst messily. Some have also noted that for-profit universities seem to be doing quite well, but they face increased scrutiny from politicians who raise eyebrows at their recruitment strategies and failure to deliver on promises regarding post-college job placements. The first link leads to the previously mentioned piece from The Economist which offers a bit more perspective on the situation facing a number of universities in the United States. The second link will take interested parties to a piece from The Chronicle of Higher Education about the decision by the University of Virginia to put some of their courses online for free. Moving along, the third link leads to a recent post from the US News's "Economic Intelligence" blog. Authored by scholars Antony Davies and James R. Harrigan, the piece provides insight on why the education bubble may be worse than the housing bubble. The fourth link will take visitors to a book review of the recently published "The Higher Education Bubble." The fifth link will whisk users away to a thoughtful piece by Boston Magazine's Janelle Nanos about the changing landscape of higher education in the United States. The last and final link will take users away to an online calculator on the CNN website designed to help people calculate the cost of college.