Why private colleges aren’t necessarily better than state schools
Ivy league or state school for junior? You know how private college is really, really (really, really, really) expensive? Well if you’ve been fretting because you (or your kids) won’t be able to afford a fancy school, then maybe it’s time to let yourself off the hook: If the purpose of a college education is to graduate and get a job, more affordable state schools may be the way to go.
Today’s Wall Street Journal reports that employment recruiters looking to fill entry-level positions in some of the country’s biggest businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies favor public state schools as the best sources of hireable college grads. In a study the newspaper conducted surveying close to 500 big employers, recruiters reported hiring more state school graduates, who they deemed most prepared and most able to succeed. Fully 19 of the top 25 schools, as rated by the employers, were public.
A year at a public four-year college costs less than half of what private schools charge (an average of $15,213 vs. $35,636 for tuition, fees, room and board, according to the latest data from College Board), so I’d say this is a triumph for people who want to get an education that they won’t be paying for until they’re retired. Go public and get hired!
Will you encourage your kids to apply to state schools?
