Counseling Education

Should You Attend College In State?

Many factors go into one’s choice of college, some of which are major determiners and others that are relatively minor.  One major decision high school students must make fairly early on in the college search process is whether they would like to attend an in-state or our-of-state college.  The following questions should help you figure out which might be best for you.

Do I need the financial benefit of attending an in-state university?

Tuition at public schools for in-state residents varies from state to state.  For instance, tuition and fees for California residents at University of California schools is $13,200, but tuition and fees for Mississippi residents attending the University of Mississippi is only $6,600 – half the cost of California’s public schools.  In virtually every state, though, residents receive significant discounts on tuition at state schools.

Whether you need to take advantage of lower tuition at public schools in your state will depend primarily on two factors.  The primary factor is your family’s financial circumstances.  You should have a frank discussion with your parents about how much your family can afford to contribute to your tuition.  (Your parents should also go over the advantages and disadvantages of student loans with you).  The other factor is whether you will receive merit-based scholarships from other universities.  Need-based scholarships and grants should, in theory, be relatively similar (although they often are not!).  Excellent students may receive more than a standard need-based package for their accomplishments. This can significantly reduce the tuition your family would have to pay.

How strong are the public schools in my state?

Many people think state schools are inferior to private schools, but this is often not the case.  The University of North Carolina (UNC) is one of the best universities in the country, and it is a state school.  Furthermore, both the State University of New York (SUNY) and University of California (UC) have strong academic institutions.  Even if the public schools in your state are not as rigorous as an ivy-league university, would you actually be accepted to a more rigorous school?  If state schools are as good as the private schools you can get into, then there is no reason to go out of state for better academics.

How often will I want to come home?

Obviously, it is easier to come home from a school in your own state than from one that is several states away.  Most students from the East Coast who attend college in California only come home twice a year, once for the holidays and over the summer.  By the end of their college career, some stay in California year-round, because they have a job or internship there.  If you want to come home regularly, an in-state college might be the best choice.

No one should decide where they will spend thousands of dollars and four years of their life based solely on these three questions.  These questions, however can help you decide whether to look at in-state or out-of-state colleges, which would help eliminate a number of schools.

Matthew Knapp writes for SaBC, where students can find Bible colleges in California and throughout the U.S.

Image credit:  gadgetdude on Flickr