’10 Reasons to Skip the Expensive Colleges’

This list is for families trying to decide if spending $250,000 for an undergraduate degree at an elite (or not so elite) private college  is really better than spending $75,000 for a state school.  You can read more details underlying these broad assertions here, along with the 400+ comments generated by this article.

The two biggest takeaways are:  1) Do not assume unmanageable debt to attend any college, even an  “elite” one.  2) Investigate the facts supporting any claims in the school’s shiny marketing brochures.

1. Beginning adulthood without debt is worth far more than a designer diploma.
2. Research universities are no place for undergraduates.
3. Colleges are overrun by administrators.
4. The star professors touted in college brochures probably won’t be teaching your kid.
5. The college’s best professors may not even be on campus.
6. Don’t be seduced by the luxuries they show you on the tour.
7. Your tuition may be subsidizing a college president’s $1 million-plus salary.
8. High-powered athletic programs drain money from academics.
9. Going to an elite university does not guarantee success.
10. Honors colleges at public universities can offer as fine an education as the Ivy League.