Harvard, MIT, Yale, Princeton, Colombia, Stanford – the best of the best, but more
expensive than the rest.  These schools lure you in with their scholarly education and a
guaranteed job after college. But their quality of education is not really worth the over fifty
thousand dollar yearly tuition.
According to USA Today, “Some experts say other schools are now equal to an Ivy
League degree.” Going to an Ivy League school might make you stand out, but employers are
starting to care more about what a student has done with their college experience rather than
where their diploma came from.
It is not the education you are paying for at an Ivy League school, but it is the reputation.
Many companies realize that other schools have caught up academically and are willing to give
the “Non-Ivy Leaguers” more of an opportunity to score a job.
“They enjoy a reputation that can’t be equaled. However, it doesn’t mean the education
matches it,” said W. Kent Barnds, vice president of enrollment, communications and planning at
Augustina College. He said, “Many other university programs have caught up with them
academically.”
When deciding what college to go to, the price is always a big factor. Most expensive
colleges have a large amount of scholarship money to give out to a select group of applicants.
However, one year at a big, expensive college usually costs the same as or more than four years
at a state college. USA Today said that the median American annual income is $46,000, and Ivy
League schools average over $55,000 a year.
Being a Harvard graduate does not necessarily make you a better job candidate than
someone who graduated from the University of Utah or Utah State.  Malcom Gladwell, author of
David and Goliath, said, “[T]he best students from mediocre schools were almost always a better
bet than good students from the very best schools.”
This is just something to keep in mind when making your big college decision. Going to
an in-state college will provide you with an excellent education without the 50 thousand dollars
in student debt.