Justifying AU cost

Colleges and Universities A-Z American University
1

Hi All,
Is anyone else struggling with the cost of AU? After aid, it will run us roughly $115k more than JMU, though JMU’s IR program is ranked at #73 nationally, versus AU which is ranked #7 (according to Niche). (We’re in VA so JMU is in-state).

The extra $115k is a big reach for us and would leave us without the means to assist with grad school which we’re assuming he’ll need / want to attend. And, we expect that the AU bill is likely to go up in years 3-4 as his AU scholarship is only for the first two years, and we expect that off-campus housing and overall cost of living will be more expensive than at JMU.

He likes both AU and JMU, but prefers AU. Our feeling now is to have him attend JMU so we’re able to afford to send him to grad school at an AU, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown or equivalent assuming he does well enough to have a shot at admittance, so that he doesn’t come out of undergrad with a mountain of debt, and so that we’re able to pay for an extra summer program abroad or two.

Thoughts?

2

My feeling is that it isn’t worth the extra expense. And I’m an AU Alumni and a VA resident. That’s a lot of money to spend on an undergraduate degree when you have such a great option like JMU. My feeling is go with JMU. He’ll get a great education, it’s a great school - and then he has options for grad school and study abroad. You also never know - he may change is major entirely along the way.

3

Another AU grad here. Don’t send him anywhere you/he has to borrow to pay for it.If you can afford the extra $115K without borrowing and her understands the consequences (on his own for grad school–which is entirely appropriate for an adult), then AU could be a find undergrad decision. Is it “worth” the extra money? Depends what you’re hoping to get for it.