Just this week, my son had to walk away from his ‘ideal college’ because it was too expensive.
We put the numbers on a spread sheet, debits and credits, for 1st and 2nd choice … in detail. It came down to ‘how much debt do you want to pay off after graduation?’ … almost half a Lamborghini or an amount significantly below the national average. It was a no brainer. He just walked away from 1st choice into the arms of 2nd and … didn’t even look back. That was a smart decision. I don’t worry about him so much any more.
Think about it. Once you’ve narrowed your list to those that meet all your basic requirements, cost is the basis of your decision.
It’s not where you go to college … it’s what you make of it. Most, yes most, very successful professionals graduated from 2nd and 3rd tier colleges.