HIGHER ED BUBBLE UPDATE: Administrative Bloat at American Universities: The Real Reason for High Costs in Higher Education. “Between 1993 and 2007, the number of full-time administrators per 100 students at America’s leading universities grew by 39 percent, while the number of employees engaged in teaching, research or service only grew by 18 percent. Inflation-adjusted spending on administration per student increased by 61 percent during the same period, while instructional spending per student rose 39 percent. Arizona State University, for example, increased the number of administrators per 100 students by 94 percent during this period while actually reducing the number of employees engaged in instruction, research and service by 2 percent. Nearly half of all full-time employees at Arizona State University are administrators.”

UPDATE: Related: Is The College Business Model Broken?

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Joe Glandorf emails:

And how many of those new administrators have deep, political, histories? In Massachusetts its “amazing” how many idiot politicians suddenly acquire academic “expertise” at the end of their political careers.

Is it any wonder why virtually the only government subsidized educational “choice” is at the collegiate level? I mean, how many ex-politicians want to work at a high school?

Heh.