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Firstly, it's misleading to say that the cost of a UC Berkeley education is $210,000. That's the price is you're an out-of-state resident and you receive no fin

Firstly, it's misleading to say that the cost of a UC Berkeley education is $210,000. That's the price is you're an out-of-state resident and you receive no financial aid. In-state residents without financial aid end up paying roughly $120,000 (and the cost is even less since most students live off-campus after their first year, but I digress). Going to the flagship state college in the state you live in is generally a highly affordable choice for anyone. Secondly, a private school education typically runs around $200-240k, a number that is calculated to include room, board, books, and living expenses. Third, you need to realize that most people get financial aid at private colleges (and state colleges). The irony is that top private colleges (i.e. Ivy Leagues) are actually more affordable options than state colleges for low-income students because of financial aid policies for which households earning even low six-figures can qualify. The only people who actually pay full price are people whose families have gross incomes of ~200k+. If they have a sibling in college at the same time, even then they might get financial aid! Fourth, for middle-class families that straddle the line between "too rich for significant financial aid" and "too poor for parents/myself to easily pay," students should be aware of merit scholarships. Many liberal-arts colleges offer them. USC, despite its reputation as a wealthy private college, is well-known for "buying" good students by offering them generous scholarships (full-ride, half-ride) dependent on your performance on the PSAT.

nicholas73 14y ago
Interesting. So the impending diarrhea I had during the last section of my PSAT cost me a potential free ride at USC (I scored a notch below what it took to be a top merit scholar). Oh well ended up at a state school anyway.
bane 14y ago
>Secondly, a private school education typically runs around $200-240k, a number that is calculated to include room, board, books, and living expenses. That's not entirely correct. The tuitions at many private schools these days lists at ~$200k for a 4-year undergrad and does not include expenses. For example https://undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/costs-attendance https://undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/costs-attendance Lists just tution at $45,735 while R&B is $10,530. So, assuming the rates don't change, tuition for an undergrad is $182,940 and other expenses run another $58,600 for a grand total of $241,540. So yeah, it's at around your upper bound, but just the difference between your lower and upper boundary was literally the entirety of my undergrad + grad degrees.
- brianchu 14y ago
  Your math doesn't add up. The total for 4 years is $225,060. Which falls in the range I provided. EDIT (reply to below): Okay, adding the un-cited items adds up to just about $240k (keeping in mind that some of those fees are one-time only). Which is right at my range. Obviously, $200k-240k is not some sort of hard-and-fast rule. It's an estimate I threw out there, and it doesn't really detract from my point to nitpick at it.
  - bane 14y ago
    You didn't include the other expenses from their site (linked previously).
hayksaakian 14y ago
Hi, I'm an out of state Cal student who gets no (free) financial aid ( I get some lower interest loans). The above number is accurate. My family has a gross income of less than what you describe, and I have no siblings. Merit scholarships are non unique to your argument. By definition few people will get them. College is still expensive, as demand for a degree exceeds the supply of high quality schools, prices have only gone up.
- brianchu 14y ago
  That gross income figure applies only in the context of top private schools. UCs don't have enough funding for generous financial aid; I believe out of state students receive even less aid. This is what I was saying when I said that many top private colleges are more affordable than state colleges. Merit scholarships are in the context of alternatives to Ivy League educations. If you're not a star student, and are from a middle-class family, you should be going to your in-state state school anyway.
  - hayksaakian 14y ago
    maybe I just fell for the usnews rankings as a first generation college student, it's hard to say 'no'. perhaps my circumstances are too unique.

nicholas73 14y ago

Interesting. So the impending diarrhea I had during the last section of my PSAT cost me a potential free ride at USC (I scored a notch below what it took to be a top merit scholar). Oh well ended up at a state school anyway.

bane 14y ago

>Secondly, a private school education typically runs around $200-240k, a number that is calculated to include room, board, books, and living expenses. That's not entirely correct. The tuitions at many private schools these days lists at ~$200k for a 4-year undergrad and does not include expenses. For example https://undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/costs-attendance https://undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/costs-attendance Lists just tution at $45,735 while R&B is $10,530. So, assuming the rates don't change, tuition for an undergrad is $182,940 and other expenses run another $58,600 for a grand total of $241,540. So yeah, it's at around your upper bound, but just the difference between your lower and upper boundary was literally the entirety of my undergrad + grad degrees.

brianchu 14y ago
Your math doesn't add up. The total for 4 years is $225,060. Which falls in the range I provided. EDIT (reply to below): Okay, adding the un-cited items adds up to just about $240k (keeping in mind that some of those fees are one-time only). Which is right at my range. Obviously, $200k-240k is not some sort of hard-and-fast rule. It's an estimate I threw out there, and it doesn't really detract from my point to nitpick at it.
- bane 14y ago
  You didn't include the other expenses from their site (linked previously).

hayksaakian 14y ago

Hi, I'm an out of state Cal student who gets no (free) financial aid ( I get some lower interest loans). The above number is accurate. My family has a gross income of less than what you describe, and I have no siblings. Merit scholarships are non unique to your argument. By definition few people will get them. College is still expensive, as demand for a degree exceeds the supply of high quality schools, prices have only gone up.

brianchu 14y ago
That gross income figure applies only in the context of top private schools. UCs don't have enough funding for generous financial aid; I believe out of state students receive even less aid. This is what I was saying when I said that many top private colleges are more affordable than state colleges. Merit scholarships are in the context of alternatives to Ivy League educations. If you're not a star student, and are from a middle-class family, you should be going to your in-state state school anyway.
- hayksaakian 14y ago
  maybe I just fell for the usnews rankings as a first generation college student, it's hard to say 'no'. perhaps my circumstances are too unique.