<p>I would definitely apply to more than 5 schools, to keep your options open. For some other majors, you can throw in additional applications in Jan. or Feb, but you probably won’t have that option for nursing because the programs will be full. You want to compare financial aid, among other factors, and some private colleges will increase an aid offer depending upon what another college offers.</p>
<p>For private colleges, I’d take a look at the availability of merit aid (many less selective colleges offer automatic aid for certain standardized test scores) and the percentage of need that is met on average. You can find some of that information by googling the “Common Data Set” and the name of the college. </p>
<p>For an out of state public college, it would be useful to know if they offer any need based aid to out of state students. That information may be a little harder to find.</p>
<p>If you are eligible for any state government need-based grants, it may pay you to attend an in-state college. In some states, only minimal state grants or no grants at all are available to a student who attends a college that is out of state.</p>