# In-State Public University vs. Expensive Private School? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 18, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300 "2015-03-18T16:05:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/41 "2015-03-19T19:01:12Z")
> [@robby](#): > > He doesn’t really follow sports at all. He’s more into video games. I don’t follow sports much either. But I went to a bunch of the hockey games while I was there, as a social thing. It helped that my freshman year, the team won the national championship.) Similarly, at UConn, the men’s and women’s basketball games must be fun to go to. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/42 "2015-03-19T19:18:16Z")
> [@robby](#): > > They seem to be fairly comparable in how they handle AP credit, with UConn appearing to give a bit more credit than RPI for a given score. > > Funny you should ask. My son was in fact admitted into UConn’s honors program. While I don’t believe it’s engineering-specific, he can do this program in conjunction with an engineering major. If he goes to UConn, he will likely do this program. Make sure you are paying attention to whether credits count as core classes, or as elective credits. When he visits UConn, he should visit the honors dorm/sit in on some honors classes. Those will be the people he’s likely to associate with. He should also ask about companies recruiting graduates specifically among the honors cohort. For some schools, this is a really big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/43 "2015-03-19T19:28:13Z")
Does your son have any idea what sort of engineering he wants to study? ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/44 "2015-03-19T19:31:40Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > People keep telling me about this “halo effect” but there is no research that this ever translates into dollars that I know of. The only research to specifically target this effect has shown repeatedly that it does not translate into any significant success; if anyone has data to the contrary bring it. > > Without that all you have is the opinions of people who went to “halo effect” schools saying that the halo effect has some sort of real significance. When weighing the accuracy of this analysis, the potential for bias should be obvious. The halo effect is not going to affect salaries that much. Nobody doing performance reviews cares what schools the people went to. It is more about exposure to opportunity. As I mentioned, my company only recruits at halo effect schools. Even if you have a resume from another school, we are not allowed to even talk to the person without very high level HR approval. And getting this is not a rubberstamp. I’ve personally experienced it a lot of times, and my daughter who went to another halo school did also. I got an assistantship I think solely based on where I came from. That I made it work had nothing to do with that, but I got a break. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/45 "2015-03-19T19:39:27Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > People keep telling me about this “halo effect” but there is no research that this ever translates into dollars that I know of. The only research to specifically target this effect has shown repeatedly that it does not translate into any significant success; if anyone has data to the contrary bring it. > > Without that all you have is the opinions of people who went to “halo effect” schools saying that the halo effect has some sort of real significance. When weighing the accuracy of this analysis, the potential for bias should be obvious. Why would we expect it to translate into salary? In the fields I’ve worked in, often the most-coveted jobs pay a little less. There’s a simple economic reason for that: there’s more demand for the job. (Also, often, the really cool jobs aren’t with established firms, they are at start-ups or outside the for-profit sector, where pay is often less.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/46 "2015-03-19T19:44:12Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > The halo effect is not going to affect salaries that much. Nobody doing performance reviews cares what schools the people went to. It is more about exposure to opportunity. As I mentioned, my company only recruits at halo effect schools. Even if you have a resume from another school, we are not allowed to even talk to the person without very high level HR approval. And getting this is not a rubberstamp. > > I’ve personally experienced it a lot of times, and my daughter who went to another halo school did also. I got an assistantship I think solely based on where I came from. That I made it work had nothing to do with that, but I got a break. Thank you for the clarification. On the other hand, we are talking about _undergrad_; if he does well at either school he should be able to get into a good graduate school; so, if that is his plan, there is no way the 80-100k price would make a significant difference. This whole thing just sees like a no-brainer to me. If the 80-100k was an inconsequential sum then sure, go wherever. Since it is a consequential sum it will add limitations to his financial freedom after graduation, which could also limit the opportunities he will be able to pursue. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/47 "2015-03-19T19:47:30Z")
> [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > People keep telling me about this “halo effect” but there is no research that this ever translates into dollars that I know of. The only research to specifically target this effect has shown repeatedly that it does not translate into any significant success; if anyone has data to the contrary bring it. There are a few studies that show that where you went to school matters, like the ones discussed in [this article](http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/05/does-it-matter-where-you-go-to-college/257227/) in _The Atlantic_. Reading the article, though, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between an elite private college and a good state school. There’s also that [study](http://www.nyu.edu/classes/jepsen/hoxby-selective.pdf) from several years ago referenced in Post #26 above by **buddy431**. > [@Mr.Nylock](#): > > …Without that all you have is the opinions of people who went to “halo effect” schools saying that the halo effect has some sort of real significance. When weighing the accuracy of this analysis, the potential for bias should be obvious. Without a doubt. While it may be an ego boost for me to tell people where I went to school, I don’t know for certain if it’s actually translated into anything tangible.\* There’s a lot of people I currently work with who went to lower-ranked schools that are doing just fine. Complicating the discussion is the fact that the cost of college has gone through the roof since I graduated. While it might have made sense to pay a bit more for a private school than a public university back in the '80s, you were only talking a difference of few thousand dollars. Now the difference is many tens of thousands of dollars. \*While I have actually had people tell me that I was interviewed or even hired based on where I went to school, who’s to say if I wouldn’t have gotten the same or a similar job if I’d gone somewhere else? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/48 "2015-03-19T19:51:03Z")
All the abstract discussion aside, I’m guessing the biggest predictor of your son’s future success is how well he does in whatever school he chooses. If there’s a significant reason to think he will be happier or more comfortable at one school or the other, then that would make it an easy choice. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/49 "2015-03-19T19:58:23Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Does your son have any idea what sort of engineering he wants to study? Not really. He applied for electrical, but now may be rethinking that. Lately he’s mentioned mechanical. I’m encouraging him to consider civil, because there’s a lot of work in infrastructure rehab/replacement (e.g. roads, bridges, water, sewer, etc.). Unfortunately, none of that seems to particularly appeal to him. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/50 "2015-03-19T20:00:04Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Why would we expect it to translate into salary? In the fields I’ve worked in, often the most-coveted jobs pay a little less. There’s a simple economic reason for that: there’s more demand for the job. (Also, often, the really cool jobs aren’t with established firms, they are at start-ups or outside the for-profit sector, where pay is often less.) Up to this point, nobody has delved really into the differences in the types of success that are available for the respective schools. I think your point is very valid, I was going to write a longer post to add that into it but I just decided to stick with one point. I think what you say is true for many fields, the one I’m trying to transition into certainly has many highly qualified people who would jump at the chance to take a 20% pay cut in exchange for other things. At my age it seems so many of my peers who are ambitious are looking for what they consider to be “better” jobs that pay less that I sometimes think the above point you made almost goes without saying. I think this is good though, hopefully this all helps the OP make the best decision. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/51 "2015-03-19T21:57:57Z")
> [@robby](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Does your son have any idea what sort of engineering he wants to study? > > Not really. He applied for electrical, but now may be rethinking that. Lately he’s mentioned mechanical. I’m encouraging him to consider civil, because there’s a lot of work in infrastructure rehab/replacement (e.g. roads, bridges, water, sewer, etc.). Unfortunately, none of that seems to particularly appeal to him. If he’s uncertain about the branch of engineering, he might find that he really doesn’t want to become an engineer at all. Given that, I’d recommend he attend a well-rounded school like UConn. As I said, I knew people who figured out that they didn’t want to become engineers or weren’t capable of the work but were trapped at RPI. Someone at a real university would have more options to change his major. ---
**Author:** ![FeAudrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7feea3/32.png) [@FeAudrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FeAudrey)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/52 "2015-03-20T00:36:09Z")
> [@robby](#): > > (describes son’s not yet having made a choice among engineering fields) He won’t have to make a choice on first enrolling. A typical first two years worth of courses in an engineering program will be divided among: – general education requirements (English comp, humanities, social science, etc) – pre-engineering core (math – full calc & analyt sequence at a minimum, physics, chemistry, computer science, engineering graphics, maybe economics, accounting, and/or statistics) – introductory courses in a variety of engineering fields (some of which will count as cognate courses for the field chosen) This is actually the hardest part. Good basics make everything more advanced easier. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/53 "2015-03-20T18:48:32Z")
I came across this list on [Payscale.com](http://www.payscale.com) that ranks universities by 20-year net ROI. Across all majors, UConn (instate) comes in at #149 with a 20-year net ROI of $449,700. RPI comes in at #27 with a ROI of $680,500. (See list [here](http://www.payscale.com/college-roi/).) However, _for engineering majors_, UConn (instate) comes in at #41 with a 20-year net ROI of $809,700. RPI comes in at #161 with a ROI of $660,500. (See list [here](http://www.payscale.com/college-roi/major/engineering).) Looking at the figures more closely, it shows that engineering majors from UConn and RPI make about the same salary, but RPI costs more than twice as much. So assuming my son sticks with engineering, it would appear that UConn makes the most sense, at least monetarily. (The same list shows that Rice University is #1 for engineering majors, with a ROI of $1,168,400. The University of Texas [instate] comes in at #20 with a ROI of $862,700.) ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/54 "2015-03-20T19:25:53Z")
Eh, as I see it, unless the private uni is offering ginormous amounts of aid to offset the cost (which it isn’t in this case) then there’s really no reason to _ever_ choose the private school over the in-state alternative. But then again, I’m biased: I currently attend a (relatively affordable) podunk CSU in California. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/55 "2015-03-20T19:38:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If he’s uncertain about the branch of engineering, he might find that he really doesn’t want to become an engineer at all. Given that, I’d recommend he attend a well-rounded school like UConn. As I said, I knew people who figured out that they didn’t want to become engineers or weren’t capable of the work but were trapped at RPI. Someone at a real university would have more options to change his major. Depends on the school, again. Does RPI have good non-engineering departments? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2015, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/56 "2015-03-20T20:17:46Z")
RPI has decent programs in the sciences, information technology, management and architecture aside from engineering. But the “humanities and social sciences?” No. When I graduated, I think there were perhaps a dozen or two graduates from that entire school. I heard rumors of a German major. (Not meaning a student from Germany but someone who actually managed to graduate with a degree majoring in German.) As I said, it’s not the school for you if you decide against the hard sciences or engineering. ---
**Author:** ![Eiffel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Eiffel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eiffel)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2015, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/57 "2015-03-21T04:11:31Z")
> [@robby](#): > > I came across this list on [Payscale.com](http://www.payscale.com) that ranks universities by 20-year net ROI. > > Across all majors, UConn (instate) comes in at #149 with a 20-year net ROI of $449,700. RPI comes in at #27 with a ROI of $680,500. (See list [here](http://www.payscale.com/college-roi/).) > > However, _for engineering majors_, UConn (instate) comes in at #41 with a 20-year net ROI of $809,700. RPI comes in at #161 with a ROI of $660,500. (See list [here](http://www.payscale.com/college-roi/major/engineering).) Looking at the figures more closely, it shows that engineering majors from UConn and RPI make about the same salary, but RPI costs more than twice as much. So assuming my son sticks with engineering, it would appear that UConn makes the most sense, at least monetarily. > > (The same list shows that Rice University is #1 for engineering majors, with a ROI of $1,168,400. The University of Texas [instate] comes in at #20 with a ROI of $862,700.) I think that your son should go to UConn. Over $60,000 is simply a ridiculous sum of money for the name of RPI, which is certainly not twice as good as UConn’s name anyways. That’s more money than it would cost to attend most top 10 or top 20 schools without any financial aid. (Obviously that’s not a fair comparison, but realize that there are people in similar situations who turned down Ivies for good state schools, and made a wise financial decision by doing so.) Also, I’m curious about what kind of data Payscale has. Aren’t higher income individuals more likely to report their income on a survey? I suppose that’s still valid so long as we’re comparing different schools, but the exact 20-year ROI seems kind of shaky to me. As a current Rice student, I laughed at their description of Rice: “Most often cast as a die-hard sports school first, Rice University students study hard as they cheer on the Owls.” I don’t know about in the past, but no current students are coming in thinking that they’re going to a “die-hard sports school.” Given our pathetic turnout at football games, we might not be studying that hard, either! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/58 "2015-03-22T02:17:47Z")
> [@robby](#): > > This is an excellent point. > > My son is eligible for a $5,500 unsubsidized federal loan his first year, and that’s it. He’s not eligible for work-study. > > As his parents, we can take out Federal PLUS loans. I don’t know much about these, but don’t see why they would be preferable to private loans. The origination fee for PLUS loans is currently 4.292%, and the interest rate is fixed at 7.21%. From what I’ve seen, I can get private loans at lower fixed rates that this. Federal PLUS loans have a much lower credit threshold than private loans do. They’re also eligible for income-contingent payment plans and public service loan forgiveness if the parent works for a public service entity. (The [federal student aid](https://studentaid.ed.gov/) site explains all of this.) That said, there are no federal student loan programs where you would be a co-signer. You are responsible for any Parent PLUS loans you take out and your son is responsible for any loans he takes out. He can’t assume Parent PLUS loans after he graduates, and you can’t assume any of his loans. Payments for federal loans can be suspended under certain circumstances, such as unemployment or economic hardship, and they can be forgiven outright in the event of death, permanent disability, or public service. On the other hand, private loans may have a lower interest rate overall, but their terms aren’t nearly as forgiving if you run into a financial hardship. Make sure you understand 100% what you’re signing for when you sign. Federal loans are preferred whenever possible just because they are more forgiving. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/59 "2015-03-22T04:49:40Z")
I know here in the midwest the best school for engineering is a public school, the University of Missouri at Rolla. One would have to go to MIT to get better credentials. But maybe back east is different? Oh, btw, many private colleges do not accept transfer credits except from other Ivy league schools. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300/60 "2015-03-22T13:12:02Z")
I think UConn. If you had the cash out of pocket for RPI, then that, but you don’t. For reference, a friend’s son is majoring in Mechanical Engineering at the University of North Dakota. Minnesota reciprocity tuition is less than $9k a year, and its less than $20k with room and board. And being North Dakota, he’s already been scooped up for the oil fields if he wants (He graduates next year). Then it will be up to him to make his career. (You do need to go to school in North Dakota). In the Midwest, schools don’t have the same sort of pull that they do on the East Coast. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-state-public-university-vs-expensive-private-school/715300.md?page=4)