Need help for deciding.
cost differences are $40,000 per year
Majoring Sociology
@shakmom If I were you I would probably choose to stay in UMN since UMN is also a very good school. And its sociology program is also considerably ranked. The ranking of the school only matters when you go to graduate study. Save the money for your graduate is a wiser choice.
That is pretty crazy to pay that differential for one big flagship over another for sociology. I don’t see the edge that Berkeley brings here as far as bang for the buck. H/she will need the money for the MS in the field if they are going to work in that area it will be necessary.
Undergraduate loans of $160K are not a good choice for any major, any school, period. If you run a loan calculator for that amount it comes out to about $1675 per month for 10 years!! Sociology is an admirable career field, but I seriously doubt it would support that kind of payment plan.
Additionally…are you certain you’ll be able to obtain loans that size in any given year, but especially in years 2-4? You have to re-qualify every year for the loan, and having an additional $40K showing each year on your asset/debt ratio is a huge negative.
I don’t really think there’s even a question about what the better option is here.
If the differential is $40,000 per year, it is likely either merit / scholarships, or you are in-state for MN. Certainly MN honors, however: have you considered a transfer to UW-Madison if in-state? There is still tuition reciprocity, and UW has the top-ranked sociology program in the country. Some rankings have Berkeley and UW tied for top sociology, but it is splitting hairs – either is outstanding, but one could be ~$40,000 less.
What @anhydrite said.