Some factors to consider: * Top private schools generally have smaller undergraduate enrollments than many state schools. * Top private schools have, in the pa

Some factors to consider: * Top private schools generally have smaller undergraduate enrollments than many state schools. * Top private schools have, in the past at least, used aid in interesting ways. For example, they have given aid to students who don't really need it to secure their enrollment. This can get them a top student for, say $10,000. Where as admitting a less well off student would run them $40-50k/year. * State schools generally end up giving their best deals to residents. * State schools have been dependent on tax revenues which have been ideological assault for the last few decades. Tax revenues have also been hurt by a bad economy. Meanwhile private endowments, which often have large investments in the private sector have been holding up, or even improving.