To really get off topic… I can’t (quickly) find 1972 tuition numbers online. Current in -state tuition-only looks like $9,316. Per one source, in 1987 it was $1,390. Adjusted for inflation, that would be, in current dollars…
$3,440.
Draw your own conclusions.
How much of that has to do with living accommodations? I'm sure it's only a small part, but my dorm room was an 8x8 prison cell. Community showers. No air. The stuff I see now is like living in the lap of luxury.