<p>a) Money. Many of my friends weren’t even allowed to consider out-of-state schools or privates for this reason and this reason alone. It seems to be common, at least where I’m from, for parents to save for four years of a public college education and no more, leaving middle-class kids SOL when it comes to non-in-state publics.</p>
<p>b) Proximity to home. Maybe it’s just a Southern thing, but many people don’t leave their home state–or even stray more than two or three hours away–for college. Some students want the opportunity to come home every couple of weekends for a homecooked meal with mom, and some parents just don’t want their kids to stray too far from the nest. (Mine, on the other hand, are sending me as far away as possible, lol. They’d be furious if I stayed in-state.)</p>