I am actually quite interested in this thread because it is a dilemma that many families face.
Thank you to everyone who had specific college suggestions for my daughter up-thread. I do not want to take away from the purpose of this thread - discussing how large debt impacts one’s college decision. One of the limitations of the current cost model is that is creates a huge vacuum for kids who prefer smaller residential colleges (where almost all students remain on campus for 4 years) and those who also need access to research facilities, etc. Some private schools are able to strike this balance remarkably well, but we have yet to find a public institution that can do the same. But as with almost everything in life, there are trade-offs. I just know that we are not going to leverage our or our children’s future for 4 years of undergrad education.