[uberswe]

This is more of a US problem. In the EU much of higher education is very cheap or free. Some students even get paid a small amount of money and have access to loans with low interested and great terms so that it's easier to focus on school and everyone is on a more even playing field.

[goodpoint]

Yes, and in various countries universities have a solid theoretical and scholarly approach to STEM topics.

In US Engineering is framed as a very practical, "how-to" oriented, to the point that people can be surprised to learn that engineers do research and publish papers.

[nicoburns]

US and UK. We might get a loan in the UK, but the level of debt is still excessive.