Whether it’s related to college or any purchase, sometimes cheaper is better, and sometimes it simply is not. It’s one of those “it depends”. 
in the OP’s case, they have a quality, well respected school at a great value. Definite win!
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Our eldest got into all of UC‘s, USC, Yale, Johns Hopkins and other local universities. Her intended major was a premed concentration. Through her counselor, she found out that University of Buffalo had a special program that would place students in medical school, in upstate New York if they got into the program and performed well.
She knew that her younger sister and brother were going to be going to college. She was always a very self assured child and she thought well enough about herself to have the courage to go across the country to SUNY Buffalo on full ride.
We didn’t know a soul on the eastern half of the US. She discovered engineering through a bio engineering course and switched majors to engineering with dual major of computer science/software.
She came back to California and has constantly moved up the ranks as an engineering manager or as a software manager. Because she’s really strong in her communication skills, and explains concepts through analogies, she’s a very popular trainer, and is often requested by multiple leads at her company.
Our middle daughter went to UC Davis because they have a strong record of getting kids into medical school. Which is exactly what she did. Was it Berkeley? No. But her friends at Berkeley were miserable with the intensity and would visit her frequently at Davis because it was just a quick train ride away.
Our youngest went to Caltech. Yes it’s a top 10 school. Yes, it’s a very good school. Yes it is very expensive.The issue is that it is a research institution. You won’t get a typical university experience there.
Did he like it? initially yes, he did. But he didn’t like the way the coursework was conducted by having inexperienced grad students teaching courses and developing exams and tests which they had never taught before. It was on the job training.
When you go to work as an attorney, your clients aren’t going to be asking you where you went to undergrad. They’re going to be paying you for your knowledge and experience.
We all have regrets, but don’t let where you went to undergrad frame your thoughts of achievement.
I attended San Diego State University, and at the time, I didn’t realize that the leaders of my field and profession, were retiring in San Diego and teaching at San Diego State. I received the benefit of all of these phenomenal professors and their experiences.
Who knew?
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Oops! I meant to say “cheaper” doesn’t mean worse. lol I fixed it.
And, yes, it depends. 
As we discuss, “cheaper” it brings to mind the connotations that are sometimes associated with that word. Something “cheap” often has the connotation of being lower in quality, whereas something that is “less expensive” is still considered to be a quality item, but that does not cost as much money.
In this case, I think that you are going to a less expensive college, not a cheaper one. You will be getting a top-notch education, including in a field in which the university is one of the top in the world.
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I figured it was probably a typo, but the response goes both ways 
A particularly pertinent observation when comparing instate publics vs cost of others. There are a good number of public colleges in the US that out of state students are happily paying full cost for. I would argue that in this case “less expensive” or “cheaper” just translates to “lucky enough to be paying instate tuition”.
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Subject title changed with permission from the OP.
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There are many reasons why a student might choose a less costly option. Really, this is a family decision.
Back in the Stone Age, I transferred from a very costly college (at the time…even with my excellent aid) to an instate public university which was far less costly. I never regretted it one bit. I got an excellent education, worked hard, and was able to pursue a wonderful career.
So…no regrets.
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Thank you for this reframing. It sets the right context.
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OP:
If you’re going to attend UIUC, I think you should wear that loud and proud. Both of my kids have attended a top-ranked high school (according to US News & World Report) and at their high school, it’s always been considered a big deal (aka something to brag about) if you’re going to UIUC.
So that’s a long-winded way of me saying that part of this all depends on one’s point of view. Maybe at YOUR high school, going to UIUC is not considered a big deal, but at some other high schools, it’s considered a pretty nice feather in your cap.
Once one is out of high school and you’re actually in college, guess what? NOBODY at the college you attend is going to be talking about where everybody got accepted to college. It’s hard to see that and understand it right now because you’re probably still in fairly close communication with a bunch of your high school classmates. But once college starts in the fall, everybody kind of forgets about all of the pontificating, boasting, and grand standing that might have happened in high school.
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A great reminder! Don’t compare, live your life.
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OP, you have been on my mind.
First, many - maybe even most - college students will spend some time wondering what life might have been had they made a different choice. The nature of the experience is that you do it once. So the kid at Caltech might be wondering if they might have been happier at MIT. Iow, there is always the road not taken.
Second, when the road choice wasn’t really a choice but an imperative, as it was in your case – it’s fine to grieve what you feel you missed out on. Maybe it’s the immediate reaction of a stranger when you say where you are headed, maybe it’s a certain kind of social life, maybe it’s a type of classroom experience, etc. Many students have to choose on the basis of cost, and when the lowest cost isn’t the first choice, it can be tough.
But in the end, college will be what you make of it. Ime, academic achievement and mastery can happen – or not! – everywhere. Figure out what you want in and out of the classroom and go for it. Avail yourself of the opportunities you have. Of course, you are headed to an excellent institution. Your life will not be worse for it. Different in some respects, for sure. Please remember as you settle in that everything wouldn’t have been perfect anywhere.
And graduating with less debt will make certain options available to you. It’s hard to look out that far, but you are doing something awesome for your future self.
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With law school in mind, I do not think you will regret it. Work hard, get good grades, ace LSAT, build strong ECs and your college name will not matter. Both of my kids chose less prestigious colleges on full scholarships. They also have grad school plans, and we would rather save money for that vs watch them go in debt.
Good luck!!!
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@MKB2026 As many posters already mentioned, it’s ok to feel this way now. Yes, process the feeling now, but don’t hold lingering doubts too long. UIUC’s Grainger CS is excellent. I should know because our youngest S graduated in May with a 3+1 MCS degree. He was able to complete his undergrad requirements in 3 years due to APs and testing out of a couple of courses, then just added 1 year for the master’s degree.
S chose UIUC over Northwestern. He didn’t care about “prestige” when his cohorts and their wealthy families in HS really prioritize it.
UIUC is not a school that will hold your hand career wise, but they provide many opportunities for students who want them. Clubs related to CS are top notch and provide hands on experience. S joined a SWE club his first year and worked on projects with real companies. During his 2nd and 3rd years, he joined a Quant Club where he really explored a career path in quant.
These club experiences helped to land 3 internships including one at a quant firm in Chicago after his 3rd year and his new job at a hedge fund in NYC.
Research Park and City Scholars are great opportunities for paid internships (on campus and in Chicago) during the school year and/or summer with companies like Capital One, Rivian, and quant firms where your competition is only UIUC students. It is also where S did his second internship that was 6 months long and it did lead to a full time offer post graduation. He declined.
When you have time, go on Linked In and look at students who attend and attended UIUC to see where they are employed and what they have done. UIUC grads are employed at all industries everywhere.
Final words, students have to work at finding opportunities. It’s best to surrounds yourself with other like minded students. Read every email that you receive, talk to your TAs and professors. Do well in your classes, but that doesn’t mean you have to each perfection in every class. Don’t cheat and learn the fundamentals without using AI. These things sound a bit trite, but it will help you have to do hours and hours of interviews. That’s a story for another time.
FInal finał words, S and his older siblings all graduated debt free. They are extremely happy not having any debt. The older ones often tell me how grateful they are that their earnings are all theirs. They are surprised how many of their peers have student loan debts that eat up a big chunk of their paychecks. Without debt, they were able to choose employments based on their interests not the salaries to justify the cost of college. They are all working and living well.
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