You didn’t hear horror stories of people unable to get into required courses and graduating in 4.5 or 5 years 20 years ago. Nor were tuition rates as high as now, even adjusted for inflation and incomes.
As far as other good state university systems: U Va., U Mich., Rutgers (medical college Medicare scandal notwithstanding), U Md., U. Illinois (UIUC in particular) …
