I know that this topic has been discussed plenty before, but I was wondering if anyone had any input on my specific situation.
So I would consider myself an above average student, definitely not ivy league or anything, and will be majoring in CS. I was offered a great amount of scholarship money and a good financial aid package for La Salle University which brought the total cost of attendance to under 10k per year. I was really excited by this, but my parents were not too happy with the school’s location or prestige. My other choices are Penn State Main, Bucknell, Lafayette, RPI, and Carnegie Mellon. Penn State is the cheapest of these schools and its still going to cost 26k per year (RPI will be 39k and I think the others will be 40k+ if I get in). I’m just not sure that I feel comfortable taking on this kind of debt for undergrad.
Is anyone in a similar situation or know anything about La Salle in terms of prestige and academics? I am going to attend the open house on April 1st.
Thanks for any help 
So if your parents are not too happy, are they willing to pay for the more expensive universities? You should try to avoid a lot of debt, as it will drag down your finances early in life. I recommend that people not take out more than $20-25K total loans over four years, and even that should be avoided if possible. When you visit LaSalle, see if you feel comfortable there and whether it would be a good place to be a student and try to find out how their CS grads do. You might need to make a visit to that department and see if you can get information about their program and grads. I’m with you on not getting into big debt.
Money is important, but just HOW important relative to the value you would get out of the different schools is up to your overall financial situation (i.e., are you going into debt for ALL of it. vs.are your parents helping, and by how much…can they comfortably afford to help and have retirement funds etc. left. Do you have siblings who will be going to college too? We can’t help you to sort out your decision without knowing more.
If you are having to pay back your parents for any loans they take out, I think LaSalle is the only supportable choice. That much debt could become a horrible burden, robbing you of future things you want to do in your life. If you find LaSalle too easy, do you best to ask professors to work with you on special projects, research, etc, That could take you far!
If your parents can afford to pay a good chunk or all expenses, ask yourself:
Were you excited about LaSalle for the school itself (general fit, vibe, program) all money and prestige issues aside? What do you feel about your fit with the next most economical choice, Penn State? And so on. Is one of the schools a clear favorite, and why? Are the distinguishing features of your favorite school enough to make you feel you will learn and grow that much more as a person to make it worth the money?