Sure, obviously there's a point at which the prestige of a top school can outweigh the cost of attendance. But most people do not go to top schools. I think th

Sure, obviously there's a point at which the prestige of a top school can outweigh the cost of attendance. But most people do not go to top schools. I think the article addresses prospective undergraduates at mid- and lower-tier colleges. These schools are nowhere near as prestigious, but comparably expensive. If a US school is not particularly strongly recognized, is it really worth it to dish out between $50k and $200k? On top of that, note that going to study in a foreign country would hopefully give you fluency in a foreign language. The Economist ran a piece on the lifetime value of knowing a foreign language[0] -- for German in particular, the assessed value is $128k. Considering the opportunity cost, is it really still worth it to go to the low-ranked US school? All this being considered, if you're still of the opinion that a US degree is somehow essential, the obvious response is to get a masters in the states. [0] http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2014/03/language-study http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2014/03/language-stu...