Why do you think that university education in the USA is so much more expensive than pretty much anywhere?

Even Mexico (much derided in the USA) has virtually free university education, and many universities have open admissions. In Europe, university education is either subsidized or free. Is the USA's system of enormous education fees just one more example of the financial apartheid that sees people suffer or even die due to lack of healthcare? Or is free/subsidized education & universal healthcare for all too much like communism?