<p>I wouldn’t worry too much about weather. Say you were debating between Harvard and another school, you wouldn’t let the nasty, windy winters of the Northeast stop you from coming to Harvard, would you? </p>
<p>Don’t make any decisions until you visit 'Bama. Look into job prospects and average starting salaries for graduates for both schools. If UW engineers are making significantly more money after graduation than 'Bama engineers, then the $80K debt would pay itself off sooner. </p>