This study was conducted to determine if there is a relationship between select pricing schemes used throughout the world and positive social outcomes. The rising costs of college tuition and escalating student debt has raised the concern about how students should pay for financing their education and whether the current system is the most effective model. The literature review summarizes the U.S. pricing model and provides a comparative summary of schemes utilized in other regions of the globe. Findings of this study show that countries that offer a heavily subsidized assistance package to need-based students, regardless of the tuition cost, tend to produce better social outcomes than those nations that do not allocate significant resources toward educational expenditures. It also showed that countries that require a high score on an entrance examination in order to receive a low-cost education perform the lowest in select social outcome indicators. The study concluded that existing pricing models were effective at producing positive social outcomes but pointed to the recent global recession as evidence that existing methods will require an overhaul in order to adjust to depletion of resources and an ever-changing landscape of fiscal restraint. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]