Student loan debt has grown 517 percent in the last five years; colleges are spending money on fancy buildings; and graduates are unable to find jobs. The documentary shows some students who are opting out of a formal education for one that is self-led and highlights alternative learning centers like Deep Springs College and the dramas at Cooper Union, the NYC school that recently went from entirely free to regular tuition. Ivory Tower seems to suggest this might be a better solution for prospective students.

A group of the top law professors in the country called the Coalition of Concerned Colleagues met this past March to discuss and publish their concerns over the alarming devaluation of legal education. As the New York Times noted in a January 30, 2013 article, “Law school applications are headed for a 30-year low, reflecting increased concern over soaring tuition, crushing student debt and diminishing prospects of lucrative employment upon graduation.” Faced with this new reality in the legal field, the coalition met to discuss how the law degree is losing its value.