It seems to me there are three interesting camps related to the question asked.
*Like some posters said, it might be cheaper for some parents to send their kids to HYSM or Ivy’s than their state flagships.
*But for other parents who make or save more money, and have equally start kids, but either raise their kids to be frugal or themselves frugal, the kids actually attend lower level of schools than their abilities allow. This is Merit hunting or ROI conscious group
*Other ultra wealthy families who would pay for the prestige, legally or illegally
Will that affect the future path for those kids in the second group? Probably not! Will the kids who attend the prestigious schools do better than their parents, I certainly hope so. That is the benefits of education. My hope is that those kids will not come here on CC years later and ask for a FA question for their kids!!