First calculate the net cost for 4 years, after any aid. Don’t expect much if any aid from Penn State. Make sure you add in extra tuition that may be required for nursing in the last 2 years (which is sometimes known as a “differential”).
PA. just announced that tuition for Bloomsburg will be going up 25% for a full time student taking 15 credits. If you try to take 18 credits in a semester, you can be socked for a 50% tuition increase above this year’s tuition. That is just plain wrong.
Then list the pros and cons of each college. You can end up with a question, such as “Is Penn State worth a net difference of $xxx thousand for a nursing degree.”
Bloomsburg is not a bad town, but it is a little isolated. There is a very large hospital nearby, which is a big plus. State College is a much more interesting and exciting town. However, there is only one small hospital within a one hour radius. They have you go to the Milton Hershey Medical Center for your 3rd or 4th year. I hear some of the other clinicals, by necessity, are in State prison.
The first 20K or so of federally subsidized loans are not a burden for most people who graduate with a useful degree. However, any greater amounts of debt become much more expensive, because they are not subsidized by the feds.
Also, there will be substantial expenses ahead - for uniforms, equipment, maintaining a car to get to clinicals, etc. Nursing textbooks are unusually expensive, and many students don’t re-sell those books, because they want to use them to study for the certification text. Therefore, don’t cut your finances too tightly by picking a more expensive college without a good reason.
If you are a middle income PA. resident going to a PA. college, you will probably also be eligible for $2,000 to $4,000 of PHEAA grants per year. Make sure you apply each year before the deadline, including the spring before you start college. PHEAA is usually linked to FAFSA.