The middle class in the United States is the most vague social class, with their income being upwards of $75,000, according to Robert Reich, a former Secretary of Labor. This vagueness makes up over 50% of the United States population. This, however, leads to over 50% of families in the United States feeling as though they are unable to provide for their children's higher education based on their one income alone, leading them to turn to other options if they want their children to continue to maintain their middle class standing. This leads many students unable to attend elite universities in this country because of their parent's financial status. According to the Wall Street Journal, this could lead to the middle class being "priced out of top schools". This is a cause for concern because if this starts to happen, the middle class will no longer be receiving the same access to education as those in the other social classes who are either desperately unable to pay for their children's education or completely able to pay for their children's education at the most elite schools in the United States. This, as a result, creates the idea that these student's will not receive the same types of opportunities because of their social class, and idea this country strives to break the image of every day. According to a recent survey, 72% believe that the American Dream is still available to those who are hardworking. However, even if the children of the middle class are hardworking, their inability to receive aid from school's and their parent's inability to pay the cost of school's tuition leaves them unable to achieve the American Dream they desire. Student’s are then forced to attend public universities, which as long as they are in-state, are affordable, however come with their own set of problems because they are not all at the same level as the elite universities with the unaffordable price tags, creating a cause for even more concern.
Middle Class:
The broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class.