Agree with @ucbalumnus’ post just above. % of people with debt at graduation isn’t a great number to look at…there are astonishing numbers of families who are full pay at schools that cost $80k or more/year. If a school doesn’t have as wealthy of a student body, it will necessarily have a higher percentage of students with debt. Additionally, many schools that “meet 100% of need” are need-aware, meaning that they will look at how much money an applicant needs in order to attend. If one student needs $20k and another needs $50k, all else being equal (or even if the stronger candidate is the one who needs more), the student who needs less money gets in.
Also, the percentage of need met is also pretty wonky. Colleges determine a family’s need, and some schools are more generous in defining need than others. So a school might be more generous in defining need, but won’t meet as high of a percentage. That could still be a better bet than a school that meets a higher percentage of need. For more information along with concrete examples, this post might be helpful.
Also, while your family is reflecting upon their finances and retirement savings, etc., they should also consider how they will equitably treat each of their children in their post-secondary plans. It can cause tremendous familial strife is one student gets a significantly different budget than another one, and the family has not had a significant change in circumstances in the meantime.