I bought a fluke multimeter but can't set my eyes on a similar value OSC.

You probably could if you looked for something used. I bought a used Simpson 467, Fluke 8010A, and HP 3438A DVM for about a dime on the dollar on eBay (15+ years ago).

 

Why do standard oscilloscopes cost a fortune? Plus it's a huge investment. Why aren't student friendly, amateur-type oscilloscopes never designed by corporations? The basic models are still bought by colleges, research engineers or experienced professionals. I bought a fluke multimeter but can't set my eyes on a similar value OSC.

That is a question of opinion and perception.
Why is any item sold at a given price? That is a complicated question and answer and I am unable to give you a simple answer.

Oscilloscopes before the year 2000 would like sell for US$3000 or more.
Today a very high end oscilloscope might be priced at >$10,000.
A digital scope aimed at the average user or colleges and universities start around $350.
A hobbyist scope goes for $20-$100.
You can pick up a good used oscilloscope for $50.

Take your pick.

 

Why do standard oscilloscopes cost a fortune? Plus it's a huge investment. Why aren't student friendly, amateur-type oscilloscopes never designed by corporations? The basic models are still bought by colleges, research engineers or experienced professionals. I bought a fluke multimeter but can't set my eyes on a similar value OSC.

A Legacy model or some cheaper Fluke ?
While good DMM's cost a pretty penny a good DSO can be had for the price of a good Fluke too.
If you're venturing into micros a DSO with decoding capability will be of use to you as unlike the cheap USB protocol tools a DSO can confirm bus integrity to ensure it works properly and the design/build isn't responsible for packet errors.

While you can fumble on with DMM's and the like a scope is the real window into electronics.
At ~$400 there are plenty of choices of excellent new DSO's that are reliable and carry good warranties.

 

For the DMM, I had a good experience with the Aneng 8008 and the Aneng Q1. The Aneng 870 (Richmeters RM219) seems to be even better, although I never used it. These are cheap multi-meters, and are great for small voltage stuff. I wouldn't use them on the mains, though. You can try to buy one on eBay.

As for the scope, what sort of signals are you expecting to see in your projects. The greater the frequency, the greater the cost, hence my wuestion. Are you willing to pay $400 for a relatively cheap 100MHz, 1GSa/S scope? Siglent has some good, cheap scopes in that range, so you might consider those. Other brands are Owon and Rigol.