“I like the regional state school but am a bit concerned it may limit future career and grad school options over a higher rated school.”
Well where are the grads of that regional state school getting summer internships and their first jobs? Are those first jobs so dreadful that they would lock him forever into XYZ? It really, truly, is OK to ask the Career Center about this kind of thing.
Grad school admission depends on a lot of factors, and the relative “prestige” of the undergrad college or university often doesn’t matter at all. For grad school admission the coursework, GPA, GRE/GMAT/MCAT/etc. test scores, letters of recommendation, work/research experience related to the grad school goal will be what matters. The student’s professors’ personal contacts can matter as well. Happykid and her BFF both went to the local CC, then a regional state U, then worked, and now are in fully funded MFA programs at their first choice universities.