<p>Am I better off going to the best college I can be accepted in no matter what the price is or go to a lesser prestigious school where I would have little to no need for student loans.</p>
<p>I believe that going to a “less prestigious” school which would require little to no debt is the best choice 99.5% of the time. As long as the school is accredited, the name on the diploma matters less than your performance while earning your degree.</p>
<p>Others may disagree.</p>
<p>Should I buy a luxury car even if I can’t afford it?</p>
<p>seriously…what is your situation? What are the schools in question? How much debt are we talking about? What is your intended major and career goal?</p>
<p>You should go to the best college that your family can afford to pay.</p>
<p>In a word. No.</p>
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<p>This is like saying “you should buy the biggest house you can afford,” or “you should buy the most expensive car you can afford.” Not very good advice.</p>
<p>It depends.</p>
<p>You and your family need to be able to pay your college bills. SO, if you really can NOT afford to attend a college, you will not be able to enroll, because you won’t have enough money to pay the bills.</p>
<p>It depends more on what you can make of your college experience–although going to a school like… Yale Vs. community college where Yale would enable you to find a job more easily, it really does come down to what you make of it. If you feel like the more prestigious school has more opportunities for your education, then thats definitely something to consider! You wouldn’t want to go to the “less prestigious” school feeling a twinge of regret of what-might-have-been had you gone to say the more prestigious school.</p>
<p>No. This comes up again and again. As a general rule of thumb, no. If you explain your circumstances there could be another opinion.</p>
<p>Always consider the price. For everything that you buy. Without any more information, I would say go to the less prestigious school because graduating with little to no debt is better than the extra prestige.</p>
<p>A shining star at a less prestigious school is often better off than a joe schmoe at a more prestigious school.</p>
<p>I must say, I have often chosen a less expensive route (home repairs come to mind!) and deeply regretted it in the end. Oftentimes, we get what we pay for.</p>
<p>Well there is “twinge of regret”, and there is “DEEPLY” regret. I have survived the LATTER many times. A lot of the “deep” regret I’ve heard of involves debts.</p>
<p>Nah. I turned down Northwestern because I didn’t want $100K in loans. I will have 30K at UNC.</p>
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<p>The opposite is true as well. I chose a less expensive college and was very happy with my college and my program. Would I be better off if I went to a more expensive school? I doubt it. I probably would have performed the same but be in more debt.</p>
<p>Like others have said before it depends on the situation. Every decision is different. But do not fall into the trap of thinking the money will come from somewhere. If everything else is equal and you’re only basing the decision on prestige, there aren’t many cases where I would consider higher “prestige” worth significant debt.</p>
<p>It depends it really does. It’s easier to attend a public university that might cost less compared to a debt that will follow you</p>
<p>Oops. Meant I survived the “twinge”.</p>
<p>I am believer in highly selective schools for some students however I do not believe ANY school is worth going into substantial debt. Any student that is a candidate for top notch schools can find a ton of other excellent schools at more affordable price points between in-state state school options and merit scholarship options … there is NO need for a student to take on a large debt.</p>
<p>There isn’t an end all be all answer, every situation is different. You need to supply your financial aid packages and the schools in question.</p>
<p>Is Princeton worth 100k in student loans? No
Is it worth 15k? Possibly</p>
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<p>Great choice, there are people who would sell a limb to be able to attend UNC with 30k</p>