<p>If you're planning to continue living in the place where you are living now, it may be that the degree from the local third tier will do best by you because it would give you the local contacts to do well in the job market.</p>
<p>Being an outstanding student from the local third tier might open more doors than being an outstanding student from a more highly rated college (and, yes, you have the credentials to be going to a more highly rated college). This is because your third tier's colleges professors probably know lots of people locally who would open doors for you in terms of a good job locally. </p>
<p>Their (and your) personal contacts locally might be more effective than your having a degree from an Ivy or similar school, which in some provincial places in the US are looked upon with suspicion.</p>