<p>beth’s mom…The problem is defining what constitutes a “discernable benefit”. I’ve seen WAY too many posters on CC advising others to borrow ridiculous amounts to attend School A over School B because it’s ranked X number of spots higher in USNWR. Seriously?? With as much gamesmanship goes into those rankings, they’re not necessarily a true reflection of cost/benefit analysis. “Elites” and fancy LACs are too often overvalued here on CC and quality state Unis and publics are too often undervalued, usually to the financial detriment of the student and their family. Price doesn’t mean a direct correlation to quality nor to the level of future success of the student. On the other hand, incurring unnecessary and often unmanageable debt is MUCH more likely to directly lead to major issues post graduation. As cptofthehouse says, every situation is different but we rarely are privy to enough of the “family details” to know what level of debt is truly acceptable and manageable for them. You’d be hard-pressed convincing me that graduating debt free, especially from a solid state U flagship, is ever a bad idea.</p>