This book explores the causes of tuition inflation, using Cornell University (New York) as a prototypical institution. There are 9 sections with 20 chapters. Section 1, "Setting the Stage," includes (1) "Why Do Costs Keep Rising at Selective Private Colleges and Universities?" and (2) "Who Is In Charge of the University?" Section 2, "Wealth and the Quest for Prestige," includes (3) "Endowment Policies, Development Policies, and the Color of Money"; (4) "Undergraduate and Graduate Program Rankings"; and (5) "Admissions and Financial Aid Policies." Section 3, "The Primacy of Science Over Economics," includes (6) "Why Relative Prices Don't Matter" and (7) "Staying on the Cutting Edge in Science." Section 4, "The Faculty," includes (8) "Salaries" and (9) "Tenure and the End of Mandatory Retirement." Section 5, "Space," discusses (10) "Deferred Maintenance, Space Planning, and Imperfect Information" and (11) "The Costs of Space." Section 6, "Academic and Administrative Issues," includes (12) "Internal Transfer Prices," (13) "Enrollment Management," and (14) "Information Technology, Libraries, and Distance Learning." Section 7, "The Nonacademic Infrastructure," includes (15) "Parking and Transportation" and (16) "Cooling Systems." Section 8, "Student Life," discusses (17) "Intercollegiate Athletics and Gender Equity" and (18) "Dining and Housing." Section 9, "Conclusion," focuses on (19) "Looking to the Future" and (20) "A Final Thought." The appendix describes defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans. (SM)