[ImaCake]

>If your goal is education there is no need to go to a university anymore.

I think people underestimate how difficult it is to self study well enough to get an education like you can get from a (good) university program. Studying is hard! Maybe it is not so hard to learn a little bit. But to learn something with rigour and focus takes a lot of effort, especially if you have other problems to deal with as well. Aside from the value signalling of a degree, paid courses provide a strong motivation to do the uncomfortable and often unrewarding activity of studying.

Source: my own experiences with self-study and a recently started Masters in Biostatistics by distance education, all while working casually or full time.

[lonelappde]

The value of a school (or alternative study arrangement) is in its reputation for educating students well, in the eyes of the students and employers.

When reputable schools burn reputation faster than new schools build reputation, it's a broad social problem.