[rdl]

I think a lot of the argument for public funding of universities (and for K-12 education, even) is that public goods are created by having a highly educated population (workforce, voters, etc.)

To the extent that university education produces private goods (specific career training, credentials, etc.) there is a lot weaker argument for public funding.

The argument for public funding of universities is mostly not about it being a social safety net or producing equality of opportunity, at least not before the early 1990s or so, so that university students are generally from middle class or higher isn't as relevant.

[sliverstorm]

Ironically, what do the best libraries traditionally contain? Works created by highly educated individuals.

Yes, you will always have your pulp fiction, but if a library's job is to disseminate knowledge to the masses, doesn't that make libraries reliant on a source to develop that knowledge?

[Volpe]

True... that would be relevant if the world began and ended on the borders of california...

[bmj]

This isn't an either/or matter. I suspect that plenty of highly educated individuals came from private universities. And I also suspect that there's plenty of knowledge to be had from non-educated individuals, too.