UNIVERSITIES in Britain may soon be able to charge £14,000 ($17,200) a year for new fast-track degrees. These proposed two-year courses will cost the same £28,000 as the standard three-year course, but living expenses will be reduced. Previous generations of British students enjoyed free college education and the very fact that universities charge for courses still prickles many Brits. Last week’s announcement of fast-track degrees prompted more talk of a college education in Britain resembling the American-style fees system, but these comparisons are mostly misleading.

Obtaining a degree in Britain can cost more than in some American public universities, which are funded by the state, although their lower tuition fees only apply to state residents. On that measure Britain would rank near the middle of the 50-state average, somewhere between Oklahoma and Louisiana. But the top fees that are charged to out-of-state students (who account for about a fifth of the annual intake) are still far higher than in Britain. Moreover, in Britain the majority of universities charge the same amount. By contrast, America’s fees differ among public universities. For example, across all of Georgia’s public colleges the average tuition fee for a four-year degree comes out at $33,800, about the same as the cost of a degree at a British college. But tuition at the prestigious main campus of the University of Georgia works out at $45,500.

University fees are relatively new in Britain. A £1,000-a-year fee was introduced by the Labour Party in 1998, under a policy initiated by the previous Conservative government. This was increased in 2006 to a maximum of £3,000 per year and by the mid-2000s most universities were charging the maximum. But this did not constrain the number of university applications and the National Union of Students eventually dropped its opposition to fees, accepting the argument that the money had to come from somewhere. In 2012 the government tripled tuition fees to £9,000 a year. Nonetheless, the number of British and foreign university applicants has risen by more than a third over the past decade. Compared with their American counterparts, Britain’s universities are still good value, and further increases are unlikely to change that any time soon.

Correction (March 1st):An earlier version of this piece said that the maximum fee of £3,000 was introduced in 2003. The correct date is 2006. This has been changed.