How much does it cost to repair a blown head gasket in a 1996 jeep Cherokee?

I was just googling this myself. I was quoted 1500-2000 dollars for a blown head gasket repair on a 2002 Pontiac Montana. I believe the pricing is similar to most vehicles- depending on whether or not you have 1 or 2 head gaskets (and most vans, SUV's and trucks have 2). The reason I was told its so costly? Because they have to take the entire engine apart to perform the repair. The part itself is cheap, the the labor is intensive. The mechanic said he has to replace both head gaskets, because if one goes, its best to do both as the other is likely to go next. I think this price sounded very expensive. Another mechanic said he would do it for $750 on the side (but it would take him 2-3 weeks to finish it in small intervals). I may see what the junk yard will give me for it, its not worth much. Also considering taking it to the community college to see if they can fix it cheaper. A friend of ours in back in school for that program, and he said they take non-student cars occasionally if there is time. He agreed that the mechanic was correct with the explaination, and also thought it was a little high priced.