Actually, if normal inflation were applied, those costs would be $47,933, not $22,000. Sounds like we got a bargain on those prices.
In any case, if you agree the increase was not justified consider that state elected politicians and other bureaucrats are in charge of state public colleges.
As for wages hardly growing …. since 1973, give me a break. Using the Social Security wage index, 1.00 in 1973 is $6.18 as of 2018. Over the same period the CPI grew to $5.65.