“Parents are not paying though the nose to have their kids go to UC Berkeley. Students (their parents) pay a low in-state rate. Thus there are very few private colleges in California”
Well I guess 35k a year with Boarding for in State is chump change to you. 61k a year for the Chinese to send there best and brightest.
I don’t know where you get your estimate of $35,000 for in-state tuition. Last I knew tuition at UC Berkeley was about $13 - 14,000 a year.
A kid working hard in high school could take AP courses and graduate in 3 years. Alternatively, they could go to a community college for the first year and a half at a much lower cost and if they do well transfer to the university. With financial aid the cost would be much lower.