1. elite schools allow for career paths outside their major, i.e. it is common to see a history major from harvard take a job as an analyst at an investment ban

1. elite schools allow for career paths outside their major, i.e. it is common to see a history major from harvard take a job as an analyst at an investment bank that won't even look at the resume of a business major from a state school. 2. if you go into a field with a low variance in pay (say teaching) an elite degree may not make you more money, but it may dramatically increase you likelihood of landing a job, or getting a more desirable job despite similar (or lower pay) i.e. at a public vs. private school