<p>I was wondering which is better: to attend an elite private college, or to go to a state school at a lower cost (nearly a full ride) in their honors college. Would the honors college make up for the lack of prestige? I live in Mississippi, and I’m currently considering the Barksdale Honors College at the Univ. of Mississippi, vs. a school like Tulane. Small class size is definitely a huge advantage for me at U of M, and I know that the average class size for the honors college is 14-15. Would Tulane be worth it?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>By the way…was this thread posted in the wrong place? I’m kinda new here.</p>
<p>I’m not quite sure what I want to be, but something definitely math/science-y. </p>
<p>It’s not necessarily prestige, but the fact that these are better schools. Do you, or does anyone, by any chance know just how good Barksdale is? I’ve heard that some schools tack on the word Honors just for namesake.</p>
<p>Tulane would not be worth the extra cost, particularly in math/science. UMiss should have some very good programs. If you are hung up on prestige save your pennies and attend a prestigious grad school.</p>
<p>This question is always ‘it depends.’ It depends on whether you and your family will have to go into debt for you to attend Tulane and if so, how much. It depends on whether you plan to go to grad school and what you will have to borrow to pay for that. It depends on what your are planning to do professionally and what the job market looks like for that field. It depends on what the ‘honors’ designation means at your specific state school (do you get priority in registering for classes? better housing? special classes and housing with the other honors students? research opportunities early on?) vs. what the other school has to offer especially in your areas of interest.</p>
<p>Only you know all the factors here and can give them the appropriate weight for the purposes of a decision.</p>