Choosing a lower "ranked" state school vs. a higher private school b/c of tuition?

[winsicle]

If the private school is "ranked" in the top 30-40, and the state school is "ranked" in the 40's-50's:

What are everyones thoughts on this situation?

Is it a good idea to attend the "lesser" school because its tuition is ~$20,000 a year less? Will this difference in tuition have a major impact in the long run (i.e., will it prevent the purchase of a home by a few years)? Or wll the difference be minimal, and you should go to the best school you get into, no matter the cost?

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[superdevil]

If the private school is "ranked" in the top 30-40, and the state school is "ranked" in the 40's-50's:

What are everyones thoughts on this situation?

Is it a good idea to attend the "lesser" school because its tuition is ~$20,000 a year less? Will this difference in tuition have a major impact in the long run (i.e., will it prevent the purchase of a home by a few years)? Or wll the difference be minimal, and you should go to the best school you get into, no matter the cost?

yes, it is a good idea to attend the lesser school for 20k less per year. of course that doesn't necessarily mean its the right decision. just wait for financial aid packages to come in. if you don't get scholarships or grants and have to pay 'sticker price' at both schools, the state school may be the pick. will going to the expensive school postpone the purchase of a home for a few years? maybe. if the difference is 20k/yr, that's 80 grand over 4 years. that's a lot of money. despite this, you may be able to purchase a house either way, dependent on many other factors. also, you should consider the cost of living difference between the two cities. that could amount to a tuition break for the private school--or put it out of financial reach, so to speak.


in other words---wait for financial aid. good luck!

 

[tinkerbelle]

30-40 vs 40-50 doesn't seem like a big difference to me. Which school do you like better (forget about $$ for a minute)? If you think you could be happy at your state school, then why pay more money for the private school? But I agree with SD...wait till you see the financial aid packages before making a final decision. Maybe your state school will be about the same as the private school. In that case, go to the higher ranked school if you like it better.

 

[canttouchthis]

Also take into consideration where you want to end up for residency. For example if you are from CA I'd choose davis/irvine over a 30-40 school that is outside of CA if you want to get a CA residency. Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like local reputations can take a school higher than it's US news ranking.

 

[45408]

the difference between, say, UCD and Ohio State is really going to be negligible in the long run - in terms of their US News ranking. If I were you, I'd save the money. canttouchthis makes a good point, so make sure to consider that, but otherwise, I'd go with the cheaper school (unless I felt uneasy about it).

 

[Blue Scrub]

30-40 does not seem like much higher to me than 40-50...but saving 80k does seem like a lot to me, I'd go with the state school...but who cares what other people think, go with what you feel comfortable with, good luck!

 

[NEATOMD]

All other factors aside...I'd definately follow the money on that one. On average, you will pay 3 dollars for every 1 you borrow in college. Meanwhile, the college rankings are really contraversial anyway. Besides money, where do you think you will be happiest. Which one fits in with your future goals the most? ie: Why go to a high ranked research school if you don't want to do research? or Why go to a high ranked primary care school if you don't want to do primary care? One more point...most people won't care where you got your MD as much as they care that you have it. Basically, you'll have a certificat that you are required to put on your wall that hardly anyone will look at. Just my opinions though.