<p>Per student endowment affects everything. It basically drives the budget because roughly 4% to 5% of the per student endowment goes directly into the per student operating expense budget. That's a serious chunk of change. Schools with larger per student endowments are generally less reliant on per student revenues (tuition, etc.) and can take more financial aid students or offer larger per student discounts.</p>
<p>Don't get me wrong. Trinity has a very handsome per student endowment. But, three times more is three times more.</p>
<p>I'm not saying go to the higher per student endowment school if you clearly prefer the other school. But, if you truly can't decide, picking the school with a much larger per student endowment is better than flipping a coin.</p>