<p>You’ve mentioned the necessity of him graduating in four years. Whether or not that will happen rests almost entirely on your son. Assuming he wouldn’t choose vastly different programs depending on which school he chose, I wouldn’t worry about 4, 5, and 6 year graduation rates from the perspective of your son being able to graduate in 4. It would be worth considering if it were very important to your son to go to school with mostly high achieving “traditional” students, but from what your describing, I’m not getting the idea that that would be a dealbreaker for your son (nor should it be; as you essentially said, a school doesn’t have to be near the to prof the USN&WR list to provide him with a good education).</p>
<p>And as far as other financial factors are concerned, I’m assuming he knows how much money he has to work with, right? Make sure he has a full understanding of all extra costs (books, possible tuition increases) and how student loans work (as in, if he borrows X, what might he end up paying over ten years), and how his level of student debt will after his life after graduation. So many college-bound teens really don’t get the implications of debt. </p>
<p>If more visits are possible, do it! Preferably staying with someone in the dorms for a weekend, if that is a possibility. </p>
<p>One tip you could give him (though I wouldn’t try to push him one way or the other), is that the first year is a big adjustment and it can be difficult to make that adjustment if he’s very far away from home. I’ve known of so many students who transfer to be closer to family. You know your son better than anybody, so it would be a good idea to discuss this with him if he’s the type for whom being close to you would greatly ease his transition to collegiate life and adulthood.</p>
<p>Beyond that, I don’t think over-analyzing really won’t get very far, nor will trying to push him or way or the other. In the end, it’s up to him (obviously), and he has to go with what feels right. Or more importantly, not to go with what feels wrong. If he thinks he will be uncomfortable with a 40% Mormon student body, I wouldn’t downplay that concern.</p>