Getting a college degree is a lot more expensive than it used to be–30% more, after inflation. Everyone has a theory about why that is (Fancy amenities! Lack of state funding! Student loans!) but what does the data say? In this episode, Clare schools Teo on the forces driving college tuition higher, and explains what could bring prices back down to earth. 

Have a question we should answer on the show? Click here to tell us using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org.

Support the show by supporting our home, KUOW Public Radio in Seattle.

Sources in this episode:
Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025, College Board
The College Payoff, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2021
College Scorecard
Decoding the Cost of College, New America, 2018
Can the Trump administration make college cheaper?, Planet Money, 2026
Key Changes to Federal Student Loans Made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Harvard University
Interview with Beth Akers, American Enterprise Institute 
Interview with Judith Scott-Clayton, Columbia University
Interview with Chris Ruhl, Purdue University
Tuition data from: University of Washington; Western Washington University; Dartmouth College; University of Southern California

Getting a college degree is a lot more expensive than it used to be&ndash;30% more, after inflation. Everyone has a theory about why that is (Fancy amenities! Lack of state funding! Student loans!) but what does the data say? In this episode, Clare schools Teo on the forces driving college tuition higher, and explains what could bring prices back down to earth.&nbsp;
Have a question we should answer on the show? <a href="https://forms.office.com/r/4nGSfCuAML">Click here</a> to tell us using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org.
Support the show by supporting our home, <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/control-f-notes">KUOW Public Radio</a> in Seattle.
Sources in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://research.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/Trends-in-College-Pricing-and-Student-Aid-2025-final_1.pdf">Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025</a>, College Board</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/collegepayoff2021/#resources">The College Payoff</a>, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2021</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/">College Scorecard</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.newamerica.org/insights/decoding-cost-college-2/">Decoding the Cost of College</a>, New America, 2018</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/07/01/nx-s1-5876467/student-loans-debt-bennett-hypothesis-tuition">Can the Trump administration make college cheaper?</a>, Planet Money, 2026</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://sfs.harvard.edu/changes-federal-student-loans">Key Changes to Federal Student Loans Made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act</a>, Harvard University</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Beth Akers, American Enterprise Institute&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Judith Scott-Clayton, Columbia University</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Chris Ruhl, Purdue University</li>
<li aria-level="1">Tuition data from: <a href="https://admit.washington.edu/costs/coa/">University of Washington</a>; <a href="https://admissions.wwu.edu/cost">Western Washington University</a>; <a href="https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/estimate-your-cost/cost-attendance">Dartmouth College</a>; <a href="https://financialaid.usc.edu/undergraduate-financial-aid/cost-of-attendance/">University of Southern California</a></li>
</ul>

Control F is a podcast about data — hard, fuzzy, surprising, and sometimes unreliable data — and all the ways it influences our daily lives. In each episode, we dig deep on a topic and search through research, algorithms, and assumptions to bring you insights on how stuff works. In a world ruled by numbers, Control F reads between the (spreadsheet) lines to find the bigger story.

Control F is a podcast about data &mdash; hard, fuzzy, surprising, and sometimes unreliable data &mdash; and all the ways it influences our daily lives. In each episode, we dig deep on a topic and search through research, algorithms, and assumptions to bring you insights on how stuff works. In a world ruled by numbers, Control F reads between the (spreadsheet) lines to find the bigger story.

Control F is a podcast about data — hard, fuzzy, surprising, and sometimes unreliable data — and all the ways it influences our daily lives. 

Control F

College costs are rising every year, and there are many theories about why prices are so high. Four theories explain the fast increase in prices and point to potential solutions. 

How did college get so expensive?

When someone says “reading is dead,” is that really true? Reading for fun has taken a big hit, but what’s really going on here? Teo and guest co-host Katie Campbell look at the data on American reading habits to find the answer, and provide tips for aspiring book nerds to get more pages in. Katie Campbell is KUOW’s book club curator. She has read over 51 books this year so far, but who’s counting?

Correction, 9/8/2026: In this episode, we incorrectly state that adult American gamers spend roughly 90 minutes gaming daily. The correct average time per day for gamers is two hours.

Have a question we should answer on the show? Click here to tell us using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org

Support the show by supporting our home, KUOW Public Radio in Seattle.

Sources in this episode:
American Time Use Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2003-2026
American Time Use Survey Report, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025
The decline in reading for pleasure over 20 years of the American Time Use Survey, iScience, 2025
A chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevity, Social Science & Medicine Journal, 2016
Who doesn’t read books in America?, Pew Research Center, 2021
Book reading habits in the U.S. vary by education, age and other factors, Pew Research Center, 2026

When someone says &ldquo;reading is dead,&rdquo; is that really true? Reading for fun has taken a big hit, but what&rsquo;s really going on here? Teo and guest co-host Katie Campbell look at the data on American reading habits to find the answer, and provide tips for aspiring book nerds to get more pages in. Katie Campbell is KUOW&rsquo;s book club curator. She has read over 51 books this year so far, but who&rsquo;s counting? Correction, 9/8/2026: In this episode, we incorrectly state that adult American gamers spend roughly 90 minutes gaming daily. The correct average time per day for gamers is two hours.
Have a question we should answer on the show? <a href="https://forms.office.com/r/4nGSfCuAML">Click here</a> to tell us using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org
Support the show by supporting our home, <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/control-f-notes">KUOW Public Radio</a> in Seattle.
Sources in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bls.gov/tus/database.htm">American Time Use Survey</a>, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2003-2026</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/atus.pdf">American Time Use Survey Report</a>, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025</li>
<li aria-level="1">The decline in reading for pleasure over 20 years of the American Time Use Survey, iScience, 2025</li>
<li aria-level="1">A chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevity, Social Science &amp; Medicine Journal, 2016</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/09/21/who-doesnt-read-books-in-america/">Who doesn&rsquo;t read books in America?</a>, Pew Research Center, 2021</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/chart/book-reading-habits-in-the-u-s-vary-by-education-age-and-other-factors/">Book reading habits in the U.S. vary by education, age and other factors</a>, Pew Research Center, 2026</li>
</ul>

Teo and guest co-host Katie Campbell look at the data on American reading habits to find the answer, and provide tips for aspiring book nerds to get more pages in.

Do Americans read books anymore?

Over 2.5 million Americans were forced out of their homes by natural disasters in 2023. As wildfires, hurricanes, and windstorms become routine across the country, homeowners are seeing their insurance premiums skyrocket. This has left many wondering: Is homeowners insurance even worth it anymore? Teo explains to Clare what homeowners insurance actually covers and whether the data says it pays off. 

We want to answer your questions about how our world works! Click here to submit a question using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org

Support the show by supporting our home, KUOW Public Radio in Seattle.

Sources in this episode:
Interview with Angela Giacchetti, Eaton Fire survivor, 2026 
Interview with Jeffrey Callen, Washington state homeowner, 2026
Interview with Aaron VanTuyl, communications and media manager, Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, 2026
Proprietary data, Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, 2026
Community voices: LA fire recovery report, Department of Angels, 2026
Property insurance and disaster risk: New evidence from mortgage escrow data, National Bureau of Economic Research, 2024
Next to fall: The climate-driven insurance crisis is here — and getting worse, Senate Budget Committee staff report, 2024
Earthquake data call report, Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, 2017
Study of American homeowners, LendingTree, 2026
Flood insurance manual, National Flood Insurance Program of FEMA, 2025
Home insurance rates in America are wildly distorted. Here’s why, New York Times, 2024
See where home insurance policies were dropped in your state, New York Times, 2024

Over 2.5 million Americans were forced out of their homes by natural disasters in 2023. As wildfires, hurricanes, and windstorms become routine across the country, homeowners are seeing their insurance premiums skyrocket. This has left many wondering: Is homeowners insurance even worth it anymore? Teo explains to Clare what homeowners insurance actually covers and whether the data says it pays off.&nbsp;
We want to answer your questions about how our world works!<a href="https://forms.office.com/r/4nGSfCuAML"> Click here</a> to submit a question using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org
Support the show by supporting our home,<a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/control-f-notes"> KUOW Public Radio</a> in Seattle.
Sources in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Angela Giacchetti, Eaton Fire survivor, 2026&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Jeffrey Callen, Washington state homeowner, 2026</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Aaron VanTuyl, communications and media manager, Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, 2026</li>
<li aria-level="1">Proprietary data, Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, 2026</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6792c245599ed84703227b1e/t/6a60ec825c62c877b0a8e4be/1784736898126/Department+of+Angels+Survey+Memo_July+2026.pdf">Community voices: LA fire recovery report</a>, Department of Angels, 2026</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w32579">Property insurance and disaster risk: New evidence from mortgage escrow data</a>, National Bureau of Economic Research, 2024</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.budget.senate.gov/hearings/next-to-fall-the-climate-driven-insurance-crisis-is-here_and-getting-worse">Next to fall: The climate-driven insurance crisis is here &mdash; and getting worse</a>, Senate Budget Committee staff report, 2024</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://embed.documentcloud.org/documents/4368239-Earthquake-Data-Call-Report-EMBARGO/">Earthquake data call report</a>, Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, 2017</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.lendingtree.com/insurance/homes-uninsured-study/">Study of American homeowners</a>, LendingTree, 2026</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_rsl_national-flood-insurance-manual_06032025.pdf">Flood insurance manual, </a>National Flood Insurance Program of FEMA, 2025</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/08/climate/home-insurance-climate-change.html">Home insurance rates in America are wildly distorted. Here&rsquo;s why</a>, New York Times, 2024</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/12/18/climate/insurance-nonrenewal-rates-policies-state-map.html">See where home insurance policies were dropped in your state</a>, New York Times, 2024</li>
</ul>

Americans who've fled their homes in a natural disaster rely on insurance to recover financially. Does it work?

Is home insurance worth it in the age of wildfires?

Every road in the United States has a speed limit, but where do these numbers come from? Do they actually make people slow down? And do lower speed limits make roads safer? In this episode, Clare tells Teo about the origins of speed limits, the science and engineering behind them, and how they fit into the bigger picture of staying safe on American roadways. 

Have a question we should answer on the show? Click here to tell us using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org

Support the show by supporting our home, KUOW Public Radio in Seattle.

 

Sources in this episode:
The first speed limit passed in the United States, cultureNOW
The first state-wide speed limit, ConnecticutHistory.org
Statement on Signing the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act, The American Presidency Project, 1974
I Can’t Drive 55, Sammy Hagar 
Impact speed and a pedestrian's risk of severe injury or death, 2011
Literature review of pedestrian fatality risk as a function of car impact speed, 2011
Speed Limit Information, Seattle Department of Transportation
Speed Limit Case Studies Report, Seattle Department of Transportation
Crash Analysis Database, Seattle Department of Transportation
Road Segment Counts Database, Seattle Department of Transportation
Interview with Yinhai Wang, University of Washington
Interview with Venu Nemani, Seattle Department of Transportation
Interview with Clara Cantor, Seattle Streets Alliance
Interview with Michael Smith, Seattle Streets Alliance

Every road in the United States has a speed limit, but where do these numbers come from? Do they actually make people slow down? And do lower speed limits make roads safer? In this episode, Clare tells Teo about the origins of speed limits, the science and engineering behind them, and how they fit into the bigger picture of staying safe on American roadways.&nbsp;
Have a question we should answer on the show? <a href="https://forms.office.com/r/4nGSfCuAML">Click here</a> to tell us using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org
Support the show by supporting our home, <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/control-f-notes">KUOW Public Radio</a> in Seattle.
&nbsp;
Sources in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://culturenow.org/site/dc33c32c-2696-434f-bf1a-b1b64037ac13/preview/ef276fe9-13c8-48d6-af51-d3e5909f5ab7#ef276fe9-13c8-48d6-af51-d3e5909f5ab7-image">The first speed limit passed in the United States</a>, cultureNOW</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://connecticuthistory.org/setting-speed-limits-today-in-history-may-21/">The first state-wide speed limit</a>, <a href="http://connecticuthistory.org">ConnecticutHistory.org</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-signing-the-emergency-highway-energy-conservation-act">Statement on Signing the Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act</a>, The American Presidency Project, 1974</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvV3nn_de2k">I Can&rsquo;t Drive 55</a>, Sammy Hagar&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22935347/">Impact speed and a pedestrian's risk of severe injury or death</a>, 2011</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457510001077">Literature review of pedestrian fatality risk as a function of car impact speed</a>, 2011</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/projects-and-programs/safety-first/vision-zero/speedlimits">Speed Limit Information</a>, Seattle Department of Transportation</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SDOT/VisionZero/SpeedLimit_CaseStudies_Report.pdf">Speed Limit Case Studies Report</a>, Seattle Department of Transportation</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://home.urbanlogiq.us/public/sdot-crash-analysis?c=47.560911345114505%2C-122.2903744917744&amp;z=14.081031554754803">Crash Analysis Database</a>, Seattle Department of Transportation</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://home.urbanlogiq.us/public/sdot-road-segments?c=47.56494803522651%2C-122.28602006208229&amp;z=10.786192912249993">Road Segment Counts Database</a>, Seattle Department of Transportation</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Yinhai Wang, University of Washington</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Venu Nemani, Seattle Department of Transportation</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Clara Cantor, Seattle Streets Alliance</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Michael Smith, Seattle Streets Alliance</li>
</ul>

Clare tells Teo about the origins of speed limits, the science and engineering behind them, and how they fit into the bigger picture of staying safe on American roadways.

How did college get so expensive?

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