I agree with @theloniusmonk and others that financial “fit” is the most important factor in college selection, for most families as they’re budget constrained. They need to consider, first of all, whether a college can meet their financial needs: either the college meets “full need” (and verified by its NPC) or its full cost is within their budget.
After that comes academic fit, which includes strength in the major. Prestige does help in a few instances but it should, at best, be a tertiary consideration.