how important is it to go to college in the area I want to live in? I live in Florida but am originally from Long Island New York and would like to return to the northeast with a finance degree, if I go to school in Florida can I get a job in the northeast? Should I only consider northeastern schools?
The only reason it matters is because local recruiting. Employers tend to recruit locally. Some will recruit nationally however. You may have to go there to job search. It will help to look for internships there so you can make some contacts and perhaps get a job offer out of it. Sure some employers may be more familiar with local colleges. It shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
The other factor is that your alumni network can be a key source of job opportunities and most alums come from and settle in the region their school is located is. At schools that draw their student populations nationally, this is somewhat less true, but even highly selective schools that pride themselves on having students from all over the country, tend to have stronger alumni networks in the region where the school is located.
That said, the bigger issue is not graduating with a load of debt. If by attending school in Florida, you emerge debt free vs. ending up in debt to go to school in the northeast, the choice is clear. Likewise attending a school that brings out the best in you as a student and a person, is a higher priority than proximity to future potential jobs.
Plus, if you are considering grad school, you could go to grad school in your region of interest.
Since you’re from Florida and seem to qualify for Bright Futures, do apply to a few FL schools.
Then, run the NPCs on Northeastern universities and choose which ones to apply to based on net cost.