General question regarding tuition prices, how much tuition is too much to pay?

Paying for College
1

Hello, I realize this may question may be a rather subjective question and perhaps a silly one to ask but what is about a good range for tuition prices? For the time being, I’ve been offered free tuition from Northern Arizona University and both ASU and UofA will cost about $4,000 per year in regards to tuition in comparison. I’m planning to take the ACT again in Spring of next year as they accept updated ACT scores up until next May for increased merit awards but if I had to choose today, I’m conflicted on which one to go with in regards to price.

Should I just go to the college that is the cheapest (NAU) or is it sometimes worth it to pay the extra money, in this case $4k a year, to go to somewhere such as UofA or ASU? In the long run, is that extra $16,000 in tuition worth it to go to perhaps a more “known” university assuming I will have an average salary once I graduate to pay off anything? In case it matters, I’m hoping to obtain an occupation in fields such as Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, and perhaps the various occupations offered in Medical School if I decide to go that route (I realize the difficulty of such).

Does it really matter where I go for undergraduate? Will where I get my degree from adversely affect future salary and job opportunities post university? If anyone here happens to be familiar enough with NAU, ASU, and UofA, is there that much of a difference between the three that it’s worth it to pay the extra money to go to one over the other?

Thanks for your time and if I need to clarify on anything else that I’m asking, let me know and I will for sure!

TL;DR: Should I go to the cheapest college I can for undergrad or is it worth it to pay an extra $4k in tuition per year to attend somewhere else?

2

You should attend the “free” school.

3

There is no general answer.

However, your specific situation could point to an answer specific to you.

Questions to ask yourself:

  • How would the extra $16,000 over four years be paid for? Debt?
  • Are the professions are you are targeting school elitist in hiring and job opportunities?
  • If the answer to the previous question is yes, is there a difference between how NAU is viewed versus ASU or UA for the specific profession?
4

@4kidsdad Okay thanks.

@ucbalumnus Yeah you’re right there. I just am not sure where to find reliable information on which school gives students more job opportunities. Also, NAU for example may statistically get less job opportunities for others but that may be just because of the smaller population of students. I will definitely look into some research though to see what I can find. Thanks!

5

Can you pay the $4000 a year more in costs? If yes…then think about this. If no…then maybe not.