The cost of college has gone up considerably over the past couple decades. What’s strange to see is how different college can cost from one school to another. Go to an Ivy League or top private school and expect to pay over $30,000 a year. Go to a community college and transfer to a four year state college, and (only considering tuition, not room and board), and you probably won’t spend $30,000 for all 4 years in tuition and fees.
What is odd is that one college, such as a state school, can have tuition costing $5,500 a year, while another private school costs $30,000 a year in tuition. Why do some schools cost so much more money, and is it worth it?
Many people look at state schools as inferior because they cost so much less, but they don’t think about why they cost so much less. They assume that less cost to them means bad teachers, few programs, and a potentially bad experience.
Private schools don’t get a dime from the government whereas state schools do. They get help from the government which allows them to charge much less in tuition. Private schools get nothing so you have to foot the bill entirely through your tuition and fees. It has nothing to do with an inferior education.
When you go to college, you will get what you put into it. Even beyond the price, you will learn more if you take part in your classes, study, join associations and clubs, and decide that you’ll learn. Don’t use price to help you decide how good an education is. Sometimes the more expensive colleges are worse but charge more because they waste money on needless ‘cosmetic’ things.
What careers are you interested in? Look into the programs you are interested in of the colleges of your choice. If they don’t have your major, rule out that school. Ask friends and acquaintances who go to or went to the schools what they thought about them and the programs they offered.
Make sure you get all your information from reliable sources. Don’t listen to gossip from people who know nothing about the colleges. Listen to past graduates and people who have been there. Even online reviews such as Princeton Reviews are much more reliable than that guy who’s been bad-mouthing your favorite school because he wasn’t accepted.
Money isn’t everything. Search for the school with the best education and programs. Going to a more expensive school won’t get you a better job, but it will increase your loans causing a decrease in your salary for many years until you are able to pay them off for good.
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