You make a great point. A top tier research university brings other economic values to the community. It also allows secondary students to strive for something worth getting into; this is not normally quantifiable.

What I don't understand is the true value (including economic generation) in spending so much money per student. Is this a sustainable endeavor? What would happen if the same amount of money per student was spent in secondary and primary education. I think its more about show and exclusivity at the expense of other young children who will never have the opportunity to attend Education City.