Economics Undergrad: Georgetown College +$30k in Student Loans, or UVA and Free?

I know these types of threads make the rounds on the College Confidential boards. I have scoured everything and anything I could find that compared these two schools, but like every student, every situation is not the same. I would pursue an Economics degree in either school. I will say that Georgetown is my number one pick and I feel like it would be the best fit for me. The issue I’m struggling with is since the schools are so comparatively ranked and recruited from that I’m not sure if $30k will open up value comparative opportunities as opposed to UVA.

Both schools in the universities are set and I will not be able to transfer among other schools. (i.e. Georgetown College > SFS or School of Arts and Sciences > McIntire)

Georgetown University - Georgetown College

  • In a big city and close to where I live
  • Love the campus
  • More prestigious
  • Higher grade inflation (Nice to have, but will work my butt off regardless)
  • Surrounded by A LOT of great intern opportunities
  • Costs roughly $30k more for me to finish my degree ($30k is a rough rough estimate. It will probably go down a little)

University of Virginia - School of Arts and Sciences

  • Free
  • Better Economics program (This is the perception I got while doing research)
  • Further away from people I care about

My goals after graduating are to proceed to a Graduate school, preferably Ivy league. While you can tell I like more things about Georgetown, in the end it is all about return on investment for me. I wanted to know, if say I am similarly studious in both school, which one might provide me with better opportunities?

Thanks for any input you can provide!

Save your debt capacity for grad school. Don’t let a 2 hour distance be your determining factor. There are plenty of ways to get back and forth from Cville to the DC area, including Amtrak, Trailways, a bus service that travels from the UVA grounds to a N. Va. Metro station, and catching a ride with the many people driving back and forth on weekends.
With the money you save, you can afford to do an unpaid internship during the summer in DC.