[WalterBright]

Thanks for the response. I'll start with I know nothing about Danish universities.

When I refer to "free", I mean more than just no cost in terms of money. If there is a cost in terms of the university being very difficult to get admitted to, then humans tend to value it. This sounds from your post like it may be the case here.

American public schools are valued so little that truancy laws (for 1-8) were passed to force attendance. Large numbers of high school students simply drop out and wander off.

On the other hand, becoming a Marine is free (they'll even pay you!). But the selection process is grueling, and hence the status of getting through that is valued. Even more selective services, like the Navy Seals, have correspondingly more status and value.

In the Air Force, being a fighter pilot is the hardest to achieve, and has top dog status, despite being paid to go through the process.