If you know anyone thinking about applying, this site does a good job breaking down true costs: http://www.lstscorereports.com/national/ http://www.lstscorerep

If you know anyone thinking about applying, this site does a good job breaking down true costs: http://www.lstscorereports.com/national/ http://www.lstscorereports.com/national/ A bit under $300,000 for most schools when you consider tuition and living expenses. That doesn't include interest on the debt. It also doesn't consider the opportunity cost you mention. Finally, one thing most young students ignore is that they have to pay the debt back in AFTER-TAX income. $300,000 in debt takes $450,000 in before tax earnings, assuming a 33% average tax rate.