Why Do You Buy An Apple?

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According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a commodity is defined as something that is bought and sold. There are many obvious examples of commodities in our world today. Silver, gold, wheat, oil, apples and beef are bought and sold everyday in the American markets. A price or value is placed on a commodity based on factors of supply and demand for the buyer intended purchase. Although prices may vary slightly due to such things as state taxes or shipping costs, it is understood that in a the marketplace a commodity has a determined value no matter where or how it is purchased.
There are typically few differences between the commodities. Whether you buy an apple in Pittsburgh or Tuscaloosa, you are buying the apple expecting the…show more content…
Every college is different and unique. There are large universities with tens of thousands of students and there are small colleges with only hundreds of students. Every college curriculum is different. They may offer the same core courses such as English or Math, but the vast majority of courses differ significantly from college to college. These courses can range from fine arts to pre med with hundreds of classes in between. Every campus is different. Large universities are big enough to warrant their own zip code with amenities such as stadiums, libraries, dining halls, and exercise facilities. While, on the other hand, small community colleges operate in one building with only classrooms and a cafeteria.
Another reason that colleges are not commodities is because of the cost of tuition. The “cost of the service”, varies from school to school. Tuition can range anywhere from $4,000 to $50,000 and all costs in between. Because of the differences in tuition, it is difficult to determine a common marketplace worth or value of a college degree. This is expressed in the article when he says, “First, most everyone now evaluates college in purely economic terms, thus reducing it to a commodity like a car or a house.” (The Washington Post) Is it more valuable to go to an expensive college because it costs more and therefore is “worth” more? Or should the value of a college degree be based on the starting salary of
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