With tuition rising at four times the rate of inflation, colleges and universities have focused on ever more superficial measures of quality. Riley cuts through the piles of glossy college catalogs and popular rankings such as U.S. News and World Report to bring families the real story behind the higher education industry.

Tuition has risen at four times the rate of inflation for the past two decades. At the same time, colleges and universities have focused on ever more superficial measures of quality from expertly manicured lawns and state-of-the-art dormitories to organic food offerings in the cafeteria and Wi-Fi everywhere on campus. Riley cuts through the piles of glossy college catalogs and popular rankings of media such as U.S. News and World Report to bring families the real story behind the higher education industry. She shows what parents and students can do to secure the best education at schools that are committed to teaching real subjects to undergraduates.