IMO the cost analysis of college (beside personal preference) is largely a function of parent income. In the US, if your family is poor to "middle income" your decision tree is 1. get into a top 5/10 (at least by endowment) school 2. get into best public university (preferably in state) you can 3. learn a trade, and by all means avoid anywhere private and expensive (unless you can get a substantial outside scholarship). If your parents are eff you rich, then eff the cost. The weird bit is the area between middle income and eff you rich where financial aid is less available and it becomes more expensive to go pretty much everywhere. In that sense college expenses are a strange way of equalizing quality of life between the upper middle and the <middle