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The Global Debate: Should Education Be Free?

By: Joshua Blond

In the debate about the effectiveness of certain teaching methods or curriculum content, one thing is certain: education is a human right. 

Across the globe, the value of education and the cost of education vary. Now, who receives education and how much people have to pay to receive education is up for debate. The average student who lives in the United States and attends public school for grades K-12 will spend anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 by the end of their college education (Sharkey, 2025). In Europe, the average student who attends public school for grades K-12 will spend anywhere from little to nothing to €80,000 ($92,638.8) by the end of their college education (Education Data Initiative, 2025). Specifically, in places including Germany, France, and Nordic Countries, one's education may be nearly free from primary school to college (Top Universities, 2025). The average student who lives in Africa and attends public school for grades K-12 will spend anywhere from $4,000 to $120,000 by the end of their college education (International Schools Database, 2022). In Asia, the average student who attends public school for grades K-12 (which is not free everywhere) will spend anywhere from $10,000 to $160,000 by the end of their college education (Educations.com, 2025).

Now, what are the factors that may influence how much education is? In Germany, they see education as a public good as they believe everyone should have access to higher education no matter how wealthy they are. Therefore, education is free (Sameer, 2025). In the United States, even students who go to the least costly college will still be required to pay for books, housing, and other fees. Although many citizens of the United States believe that, like in Germany, higher education is a public good and should be paid for by the government (NORC at the University of Chicago, 2025). To contrast this, in many areas of Africa, the only way to receive quality education is to attend private schools. This, though, is not an option for many people (Helping Children Worldwide, 2025). A majority of people, almost everywhere, agree that higher education should be more accessible everywhere if not free.

Behind every policy argument and statistic is a real student whose dreams hinge on the cost of learning. Every country needs to ensure that education is a top priority to be able to provide it to every student. An increase in education funding would be able to support this. The debate over affordable education is not abstract; it is deeply human.

Works Cited

“Category: Case Management.” Helping Children Worldwide, http://www.helpingchildrenworldwide.org/3/category/case-management.  


“Cost of College by Country [2025]: Average Tuition Fees.” Education Data Initiative, https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-by-country. 

Most Americans Say State and Federal Governments Should Subsidize Higher Education | NORC at the University of Chicago. https://www.norc.org/research/library/most-americans-say-state-and-federal-governments-should-subsidiz.html. 



Sharkey, Sarah. “Average Cost of College in 2025: Tuition, Fees, and More.” Credible, 10 Oct. 2025, https://www.credible.com/student-loans/cost-of-college. 


Stinson, Jamie, and Amandine Lama. People More Likely to Think Their Education System Is Poor than Good. https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/global-education-monitor-2023. 




“Where Can You Study Abroad for Free?” Top Universities, 11 Nov. 2025, https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/studying-abroad/where-can-you-study-abroad-free. 



“Where Can You Study Abroad for Free?” Top Universities, 11 Nov. 2025, https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/studying-abroad/where-can-you-study-abroad-free. 

Photo by The Economic Times
Photo by The Economic Times

 
 
 

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