The Inequality Machine

In The Inequality Machine: How College Divides Us Paul Tough examines how higher education in the United States has become a key mechanism that deepens social and economic divides, tracing the history of college admissions, the rise of elite institutions, and the many ways wealth, access to resources, and social networks shape who gets in and who benefits. Drawing on reporting, interviews with students and admissions insiders, and analysis of policy and culture, he challenges the idea that college is a pure meritocracy and shows how family advantage, test prep industries, legacy admissions, and institutional incentives often reproduce privilege. Tough also explores the real consequences for students and communities when access is unequal and considers pragmatic reforms to make college a more effective engine of opportunity.