Where does your son want to end up after college, geographically? As you are looking at schools, be sure to look at where career outcomes are located. SMU, for example, is going to have amazing placement in Texas. If your son wants to come back to California, find out what kind of network would be there. UIUC will funnel most of its kids to Chicago. Which means if your son went there, there’s a good likelihood that his closest friends and classmates would end up in Chicago.
It’s something to think about when you’re trying to picture the 40 years after college. It’s not just about the alumni network in general, it’s also about your college friends and possible significant other. It’s not just about the type of job, it’s also where the job is located.
I say this all from experience. I came to the Midwest for undergrad from NY. I had absolutely zero desire to stay in the Midwest when I moved here … but after four years of undergrad, and three years of law school, I never considered going back to NY.