> in EU it seems that education is less commercialized and you can get a degree for free if you are above average.
"Above-average" students (as measured by, for example, the SAT, ACT and/or GPA) are offered free university educations in many/most states in the US. It's just that average and even below average students can and do also gain admission, though obviously the completion rate is lower. College mostly only costs money in the US if you are not academically excellent and/or you elect to go to a private or out-of-state university without a scholarship.
"Above-average" students (as measured by, for example, the SAT, ACT and/or GPA) are offered free university educations in many/most states in the US. It's just that average and even below average students can and do also gain admission, though obviously the completion rate is lower. College mostly only costs money in the US if you are not academically excellent and/or you elect to go to a private or out-of-state university without a scholarship.