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<p>To swap anecdotes with cobrat: everyone that I knew in a STEM field at Berkeley in the early to mid 80’s finished in four years. One friend (a physics major) finished in 3 1/2 and then spent a semester travelling before starting grad school. </p>
<p>I agree entirely with the point made upthread about how the $100k+ saved if a student takes a cheaper option could be used in other ways like helping to start a business, paying for professional/grad school, and so forth. Families that can afford this handle it in different ways. Some give the option to the student; some simply set a budget for undergrad while planning on paying for other expenses later. Different solutions for different people/circumstances.</p>