My first year at the University of Tennessee full-time tuition (13+ semester hours) was $750 and housing and a full meal plan (3 meals per day) was just under $$3,000 for a semester.
But the expectations and wants of students then, I believe, were very different vs today. Not only that, but the missions of universities themselves are very different. They are seen as economic drivers, for instance.
The share of funds spent on instruction is far less today than what it was.