OG, inflation is only a small part of college tuition increases. Tuition has far outstretched general inflation. Your $8,000 of debt for a private med school in 1971 became $263,000 of debt for me graduating from SLU Med in 2017. Average inflation would only put your debt at $62,000 in today's dollars.
Compare that to your car for $1,800, which is about $14,000 right now. which is very comparable to the Nissan Versa.
I know the purpose of this thread should be discussing the rec center, but student debt is currently a very frustrating personal concern given my loans are being used as a political football and my progress is currently held up in federal court