India vs US: Google techie reveals hidden costs behind 'free' public schools in the West

According to Aditya Goyal, areas served by highly rated public schools generally have considerably higher property values and rental costs.

A post shared online by a Hyderabad-based engineer working at Google has prompted a wide-ranging discussion on the financial realities of education and housing in the United States.

In a message published on LinkedIn, technology professional Aditya Goyal reflected on the financial considerations families face when deciding where to live and educate their children in the US. His remarks followed conversations he said he encountered after returning to India, where many people frequently complain about the rising cost of school educationin cities such as Bengaluru.

Goyal wrote that private schooling in Bengaluru can require significant annual expenditure. According to his observations, a typical private institution in the city may charge between $4,000 and $5,000 per year, while international-curriculum schools offering programmes such as International Baccalaureate or IGCSE may cost almost twice as much. Highly exclusive schools, he added, can charge more than $15,000 annually.

He said that when such figures are discussed in India, the conversation often shifts to the belief that schooling in the United States does not involve comparable costs because public education is available without tuition fees.

“For a long time, I believed that too,” Goyal wrote.

However, he said that his experience of living in the US changed that understanding once families begin to make housing decisions after having children.

“When you first move to the US, you choose neighbourhoods based on proximity to work, restaurants, parks or nightlife. I did that too,” he wrote. “That changes very quickly once you have a child. Suddenly the most important question becomes: ‘What school district is this house in?’”

Goyal explained that he had lived in several American cities over the years, including Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Jersey City and Austin. Across those locations, he said, the same trend appeared repeatedly.

According to Goyal, areas served by highly rated public schools generally have considerably higher property values and rental costs. He suggested that families seeking better schooling options frequently end up paying more for housing.

“Families aren’t just choosing houses. They are buying access to a school district,” he wrote.

He also referred to the property taxes often associated with such neighbourhoods. In many cases, he noted, annual property tax bills may exceed $10,000 to $15,000, effectively turning housing expenses into the price families pay for access to stronger public school systems.

“The tuition isn’t charged per child. It’s charged per house,” he wrote.

Goyal concluded his remarks by reflecting on the broader financial picture of public schooling in the United States. While education provided by public schools does not require direct tuition payments, he argued that the cost frequently appears in other forms.

“Public education in the US may be free on paper. But in many cities, the real question is: Are you paying for school through tuition… or through your ZIP code?” he wrote.

The post quickly gained attention online, prompting responses from other users who shared their views about how schooling options influence housing decisions.

One commenter highlighted the trade-offs faced by families navigating the American property market. “One of the trade-offs in the U.S. housing market is what you prioritize. For the same budget, some people choose a larger home in a weaker school district, while others choose a smaller home in a stronger one,” the user wrote.

Another user compared the situation with major metropolitan areas in India, arguing that education costs there often come on top of already expensive housing markets.

“That is anyway true for metro cities like Bangalore, the school fees is in addition to the extremely high cost of apartments/houses in Bangalore. In US, cities are spread out and yes better school district have higher rent. While in Delhi or Bangalore everything is clustered together and any decent locality is very expensive,” the comment said.

A user wrote, "This is a great example of selection bias, selectively choosing what impacts maybe 5% of population in India or USA and making a case based on that. Free education is one of the basic foundation for any developed country or any country aspiring to be one, without any ifs and buts."

The discussion reflects ongoing debate among families about how education, property values and long-term financial planning intersect, particularly in countries where access to public schooling is closely tied to residential location.