<p>^ O.K., that’s a good case to keep in mind.
Although, it is a scenario involving one of the most generous “full need” schools and what may be one of the least (see the Kiplinger rankings). The $400K in assets strike me as rather high for that income level. Yet even in this case, at least one “full need” school offers a far lower net price than the in-state public alternative. I’d want to know if a random selection of several other “full need” schools are closer to Yale’s cost estimate or to USC’s.</p>
<p>Let me offer a few of what I think are counter-examples.</p>
<p><a href=“Is attending an expensive under-grad school worth it in the long run? - #24 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>Is attending an expensive under-grad school worth it in the long run? - #24 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
(post #23, $120K income, Yale cheapest, Pitt in-state most expensive, ~$18K spread)
Yes, there is an $8K spread across the listed “full need” schools … but there is an even bigger spread between the most expensive “full need” school (Penn) and the in-state public university (Pitt).</p>
<p><a href=“Amherst Cries Poverty - #65 by tk21769 - Amherst College - College Confidential Forums”>Amherst Cries Poverty - #65 by tk21769 - Amherst College - College Confidential Forums;
(post #64, $120K income, Colby cheapest,Arizona State most expensive)</p>
<p><a href=“Why do you want to go to an Ivy League school? - #48 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>Why do you want to go to an Ivy League school? - #48 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
(post #47, $120K income, Princeton cheapest, Columbia most expensive, ~$4K spread) </p>
<p><a href=“Looking for schools for pre-med CA boy - #73 by tk21769 - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>Looking for schools for pre-med CA boy - #73 by tk21769 - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums;
(post #72, $90K income, Colby cheapest, Holy Cross most expensive, ~$7K spread)</p>
<p><a href=“Looking for schools for pre-med CA boy - #105 by tk21769 - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>Looking for schools for pre-med CA boy - #105 by tk21769 - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums;
(posts #102 and #104, $80K income, Vanderbilt cheapest, Alabama most expensive … or Colby cheapest, Rochester most expensive using different assumptions)</p>
<p><a href=“What are some schools with good undergraduate physics programs I should look into? - #22 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>What are some schools with good undergraduate physics programs I should look into? - #22 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
(post #21, $80K income, UChicago cheapest, UIUC OOS most expensive)</p>
<p><a href=“Parents of non-NM finalists, did your kid get scholarships at OOS state universities? - #77 by tk21769 - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>Parents of non-NM finalists, did your kid get scholarships at OOS state universities? - #77 by tk21769 - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums;
(post #76, $76K income,Yale cheapest, Purdue OOS most expensive) </p>
<p><a href=“Is UMich a good choice for OOS students? - #15 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>Is UMich a good choice for OOS students? - #15 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
(post #14, $34,600 income, Notre Dame cheapest, Michigan OOS most expensive)</p>
<p><a href=“Should a prospective engineering major not apply to ANY schools without engineering? - #38 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>Should a prospective engineering major not apply to ANY schools without engineering? - #38 by tk21769 - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
(post #37, $30K income, MIT cheapest, GaTech most expensive ) </p>
<p>In each of these cases, covering incomes between $30K and $120K, a so-called “full need” school has the lowest estimated net cost. So I don’t think the “full need” claim is entirely meaningless … athough it may be more meaningful for some colleges than for others. </p>
<p>Investigate a variety of options (covering different kinds of schools) using your own financial data in the online NPCs.</p>