How much did the cost matter to your college choice?

[TecHNooB]

I'm asian, my parents save a boatload of money Probably won't have to pay for grad school tho.

 

[iamwiz82]

College was fairly expensive (6 figures in my 4.5 years, 5 year program), but I think it's helped me get ahead. I've got 4 more years of experience than anyone else my age who focused on college. I came out with $35k in debt.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
College was fairly expensive (6 figures in my 4.5 years, 5 year program), but I think it's helped me get ahead. I've got 4 more years of experience than anyone else my age who focused on college. I came out with $35k in debt.

Guessing Northwestern since you're saying you have more experience than other college grads of the same class?

Solid school. Always rated the best co-op program in the country. It was too expensive when I was coming out of HS, I didn't apply. Not sure that I would've gotten in.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: sjwaste

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
College was fairly expensive (6 figures in my 4.5 years, 5 year program), but I think it's helped me get ahead. I've got 4 more years of experience than anyone else my age who focused on college. I came out with $35k in debt.

Guessing Northwestern since you're saying you have more experience than other college grads of the same class?

Solid school. Always rated the best co-op program in the country. It was too expensive when I was coming out of HS, I didn't apply. Not sure that I would've gotten in.

Kettering University, I'm from Detroit, the auto industry . One of my profs was on the team that designed what would be Saturn many years ago, when I went there (2000-2004) he hated what Saturn had become. I am sure he is happier today.

 

[JasonCoder]

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: Codewiz

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: Codewiz
I wanted to go to Boston University for a computer science degree. Mostly because I liked the school and I liked the city. Cost was 30K/year. I was offered 20K in scholarships.

My in state school was Clemson University and it cost around 6k/year. I had no scholarships but technically it was a better school for my degree.

Money really drove my decision but I did end up picking the school with the better program. I probably wouldn't have survived Boston because I barely stopping partying enough to graduate from Clemson which is in the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine how much trouble I would have gotten into in Boston.

dude, have you seen how much it costs to go to clemson now? i couldn't afford it if i had to go now :Q

I graduated in 2002. I was speaking purely about tuition. Not all the other costs.

that's what i'm saying, tuition by itself has skyrocketed in their attempt to be a top 20 university.

Dude, someone has to pay Bowden's contract out.

 

[MotF Bane]

Put too much concern into cost, didn't even look at one particular school. Hated the one I ended up going to, have since gone back to tour the more costly one and think much better of it.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: sjwaste

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
College was fairly expensive (6 figures in my 4.5 years, 5 year program), but I think it's helped me get ahead. I've got 4 more years of experience than anyone else my age who focused on college. I came out with $35k in debt.

Guessing Northwestern since you're saying you have more experience than other college grads of the same class?

Solid school. Always rated the best co-op program in the country. It was too expensive when I was coming out of HS, I didn't apply. Not sure that I would've gotten in.

Kettering University, I'm from Detroit, the auto industry . One of my profs was on the team that designed what would be Saturn many years ago, when I went there (2000-2004) he hated what Saturn had become. I am sure he is happier today.

Ah, that's pretty sweet that you went there. A few of my friends really wanted to go, but none did, for various reasons (geography, cost mostly). Seemed like a very interesting program. I remember back then wishing something similar existed for the life sciences (then my career choice when I was 17, if that can exist).

 

[ChaoZ]

It was the most important factor.

 

[Anubis]

i went to the most expensive school i got into who also gave me the least amount of money

 

[CanOWorms]

I know some people with over $200,000 in school debt because of the cost of professional programs today. They plan on going into the new Income-Based Repayment program. Basically, your school loan payments are tied to your income, number of children, etc. After 25 years of payments (or 10 if they work in public interest), all the remaining principal is canceled. It makes school a lot more affordable for people who would otherwise not be able to attend or allows people to work in fields/positions that pay less.

 

[miketheidiot]

i went to school chosen around program cost, still ended up with 45k in debt.

Originally posted by: LS21
all the ones on my list were low
school i went to (UT), imo, was next to UNC for best value in the country... but during my attendance tuition rose really quicly (02-06)

tuition rose really quickly everywhere in that period

 

[oznerol]

Originally posted by: kranky
I'm really shocked at the amount of debt many of the new grads are carrying. They don't seem to think $50K is a lot of student loan debt. I don't get the impression that the cost of their education was much of a factor in their decision of where to attend.

Just wondering how many people say to themselves, "I want to get a degree with less than $X of student loans" and look at schools with that in mind.

Of course, I don't get to know them until they have a job and see how much of their income goes to taxes and they figure out how long it's going to take them to pay off those loans. Some of them have told me they will be paying for over 10 years.

Student loans (federal), are some of the best you can have. Granted, it's not better than no loans - aside from building up credit - but for 0% down, no interest accumulating until you graduate, an interest rate generally on par with inflation (~3-5%), and a payment plan spanning 10-30 years, it's tough to argue against it.

If you offered me $20,000 in cash today at 3% interest, and gave me 25 years to pay it off, I would take it in a heartbeat.

Should tuition play a role on your choice of college? Yes. But should it ever deter you from going to your preferred college? Never. If you get accepted into an MIT, Harvard, Cornell, NYU, etc - you go to it.

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: TecHNooB
I'm asian, my parents save a boatload of money Probably won't have to pay for grad school tho.

Lucky. Wish my parents saved a boatload.

I graduated with ~30k in loans, but with this job should take about 2 years to pay that + the car off if I don't waste much money...

 

[Zolty]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: sjwaste

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
College was fairly expensive (6 figures in my 4.5 years, 5 year program), but I think it's helped me get ahead. I've got 4 more years of experience than anyone else my age who focused on college. I came out with $35k in debt.

Guessing Northwestern since you're saying you have more experience than other college grads of the same class?

Solid school. Always rated the best co-op program in the country. It was too expensive when I was coming out of HS, I didn't apply. Not sure that I would've gotten in.

Kettering University, I'm from Detroit, the auto industry . One of my profs was on the team that designed what would be Saturn many years ago, when I went there (2000-2004) he hated what Saturn had become. I am sure he is happier today.

My friend Josh went to Kettering he came out with 150k in debt or so. I think I will beat him by going to riddle I am 73k and I have 80 credits to go.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

It came down to money and what major I intended. I'm at Stony Brook University right now for Biochem and paying under 10k each year (Being an RA helps as well). I had gotten accepted into Syracuse too but for ~25k a year after grants. The choice was simple.

 

[shortylickens]

Number one factor. My GI Bill plus Navy College Fund only gives me 1200 a month.
I had to settle for community college.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: kranky
I'm really shocked at the amount of debt many of the new grads are carrying. They don't seem to think $50K is a lot of student loan debt. I don't get the impression that the cost of their education was much of a factor in their decision of where to attend.

Just wondering how many people say to themselves, "I want to get a degree with less than $X of student loans" and look at schools with that in mind.

Of course, I don't get to know them until they have a job and see how much of their income goes to taxes and they figure out how long it's going to take them to pay off those loans. Some of them have told me they will be paying for over 10 years.

They don't seem to think it's a lot, because they haven't had to earn $50k.

Make them earn 25% of it first, before they go to college. Then remind them of the 75% more that they have to earn after they are out.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: Codewiz
I probably wouldn't have survived Boston because I barely stopping partying enough to graduate from Clemson which is in the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine how much trouble I would have gotten into in Boston.

Less, because it's so damn expensive to drink in the city.

 

[Safeway]

Undergraduate -- A lot. The University of Texas has a Top 5 Engineering program, so I did not sacrifice quality for affordability.

Law school -- Not at all. Getting into a Tier 1 law school is the hard part, so once admitted, cost is of no relevance.

 

[AreaCode707]

Cost mattered a lot to me. I did my freshman/sophomore year in community college when it was still $11 a unit. Did my jr and sr year at UC Davis, in state, with $5500 in tuition per year. I finished in four years. Came out with around $6500 in student loans and paid them off within 2 years (wasn't in a rush because it was a good student loan deal.)

My parents wanted me to go to Pepperdine at $40k per year. I said no way.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

None. Uncle Sam is paying for college.

 

[mcmilljb]

Originally posted by: Codewiz

Originally posted by: JohnCU

Originally posted by: Codewiz
I wanted to go to Boston University for a computer science degree. Mostly because I liked the school and I liked the city. Cost was 30K/year. I was offered 20K in scholarships.

My in state school was Clemson University and it cost around 6k/year. I had no scholarships but technically it was a better school for my degree.

Money really drove my decision but I did end up picking the school with the better program. I probably wouldn't have survived Boston because I barely stopping partying enough to graduate from Clemson which is in the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine how much trouble I would have gotten into in Boston.

dude, have you seen how much it costs to go to clemson now? i couldn't afford it if i had to go now :Q

I graduated in 2002. I was speaking purely about tuition. Not all the other costs.

My brother graduated from Clemson in '02. He did Microbiology though.

You couldn't get the LIFE scholarship? Although it barely made a dent around that time.

 

[Chronoshock]

It was considered but it ultimately did not affect my decision. I got into my #1 school so I was determined to go there. (The alternative was a mediocre local school with a full ride.) I think it was worth it. I'm making 50-100% more than I would have made coming out of a lesser school

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Zolty

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

Originally posted by: sjwaste

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
College was fairly expensive (6 figures in my 4.5 years, 5 year program), but I think it's helped me get ahead. I've got 4 more years of experience than anyone else my age who focused on college. I came out with $35k in debt.

Guessing Northwestern since you're saying you have more experience than other college grads of the same class?

Solid school. Always rated the best co-op program in the country. It was too expensive when I was coming out of HS, I didn't apply. Not sure that I would've gotten in.

Kettering University, I'm from Detroit, the auto industry . One of my profs was on the team that designed what would be Saturn many years ago, when I went there (2000-2004) he hated what Saturn had become. I am sure he is happier today.

My friend Josh went to Kettering he came out with 150k in debt or so. I think I will beat him by going to riddle I am 73k and I have 80 credits to go.

I dont see how he could have racked up $150k in debt unless he failed a lot of classes or literally paid for nothing out of pocket and failed only a few classes. Then I'd have to question what he was doing with all the cash he was making in co-op.

 

[Sea Moose]

I was paid to go to college