My kids graduated from a Florida school 2 years ago. My nephew graduated 5 years ago. Their high schools were considered top schools from top districts (lots of schools and districts claim to be the top, so I’ll just say they were in the top group). Nephew went to UF, and he was accepted to Brown, Cornell, NYU and several other top schools but felt the value was the best at UF. Val and other top 20 kids at our school went to UF and FSU, not as a default, but as their first choice. I grew up in Wisconsin and very few considered going anywhere other than Madison or to our local UW. A few went to smaller schools in Minn or Wisconsin, but usually it was for sports or music or nursing.
I’m not arguing that the flagships are or aren’t better in places other than NE, but that those from the Midwest, Texas, California and Florida grow up thinking the flagships are the best, that they are the goal. Obviously 20,000+ kids find UMass and UConn and even the dreaded Rutgers to be the right schools, but is the mindset that those are the best schools, really good schools? My daughter is dating a boy from NJ and he and his brothers never considered schools in NJ.
My father went to UMass 60 years ago, his brother went to Williams. Brother felt UMass was a lesser school and would not have wanted to go there, didn’t even look at it for his own children. Different mindset. My side of the family grew up thinking public schools (even UMass where one of my brothers attended) were where we were headed. My sister went to an LAC, but never thought Madison was a lesser school. Good things, too, as she ended up there (and loved it).