Not so. In 1961, the average cost of a year's worth of tuition was just $2550 or $22,950 in today's money. By 2015, the tuition had risen to $60,000 per year. For the 2021 year, the average cost of tuition is a staggering $77,750 or $8638 in inflation-adjusted money for 1961. https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/4074-the-cost-of-yale-a-history https://student-accounts.yale.edu/tuition-and-fees https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1961?amount=1

College is pretty much a cult at this point; moving away from family to give them 100's K for re-education.