Profiting From Universities?

[X-Static 0]

So, my city population has grown to about 200k.  A while back, I built my university, which is now at level 6 with about 5,000 students.  It has 3 dorms and schools of Engineering, Science, and Law.  I'm spending about $7,000/hr on it and my overall revenu is around -$700/hr, which is fine since I make up for it with trading.  It seems like there should be a way to profit from universities.  Is there anything I'm missing?  I personally think they should add a feature to control tuition costs.  Any ideas?

[Xr3iracer 5]

I think this education module is far too costly! I feel what you are suggesting could come in the form of ordences! Like in old sim city games! It could be like a "college fees" which means students would pay to go reduceing the hourly rate of the uni! Same could apply for buses and streetcars!

[Cob92 360]

Most universities don't turn a profit IRL, especially a public university like the type seen in SimCity. It would be cool if you could adjust tuition to offset the operating cost; higher tuition would bring in more money but risk driving away low income students, whereas low tuition would maximize enrollment but require the university to be subsidized by taxes to a greater extent.

[Rufus Honker IV 100]

Yep.  In theory you should be able to reap solid benefits - better tourism, heath, great commercial sales, lower crime (campus police may be busy but a lot of students should end up sticking around and becoming professors after graduating), but I've found universities to be ungainly and expensive. 

 

There are lots of college towns in the USA where the local small college is what keeps the town chugging.  That's almost impossible in Simcity because its the town mayor who has to fund new campus buildings and research projects - prices which dwarf the price of dropping a clinic, etc.

 

I think a University should have a high up-front charge to plop, but the upgrades should be free, limited only by how many students it is bringing in from the region.

[reReticulated Spline 69]

University students can go shopping in between classes if there is commercial nearby. It might be an interesting experiment to see how high you can tax commercial for these premium locations where they get huge amounts of shoppers. According to the the school of business, it increases profit.

 

A university city will never be that profitable though. It's one of the more challenging city types.

[X-Static 0]

I've had a couple of thoughts come about since I made my first post... A control for tuition costs in the dialogue box for the university itselft?  Maybe something like that of the trade depots?  Also, what about zoning for universities and let educational institutions develop the zoned land?  Then have a separate tax for universities and even community colleges.  Maybe an idea for the next SC.

 

Since frats pop up in high-wealth residential areas(even though it's rare), you could profit from the taxes.  I guess that's the only current way to profit from a university... but even that won't cover the hourly cost of running the Uni.

[Cob92 360]

There are lots of college towns in the USA where the local small college is what keeps the town chugging.  That's almost impossible in Simcity because its the town mayor who has to fund new campus buildings and research projects - prices which dwarf the price of dropping a clinic, etc.

 

In real life the city government doesn't spend a dime to fund the university in the vast majority of cases. Major public universities usually receive their funding from the state government plus federal grants and such, while private universities have their own funding sources. Usually, I make money in my university cities from high tech industry and high residential taxes.