JEFFREY BROWN:

The American higher education system has long been regarded as a crowning achievement. But these days, the focus has been more on its problems, rising tuition bills that stoke ballooning debt, too many students who never graduate, misplaced and overly lavish expenditures on facilities and housing and much more.

A new documentary, "Ivory Tower," looks at a range of such issues. It opens in many U.S. cities this month.

Here's a short clip that features one of its main themes.