Private vs. State Universities

Attending a private university can cost as much as five times that of a state university.

Is it worth it?

In terms of getting a job and future earning power, probably not. 

It has long been assumed that the expense of attending a top university like Harvard, Yale or Stanford is worth it in terms of future "payback."

A recent Wall Street Journal survey casts doubt on that assumption. It has been found that corporate recruiters are increasingly hiring from the big state universities. They see the "quality gap" between state and private universities as having narrowed to the point of no longer being significant. 

Plus, recruiters feel that graduates from large state schools fit better into today's competitive corporate environments.

At the same time many private schools -- especially the smaller ones -- have had to lower their academic standards in order to retain students and keep tuition money coming in. 

• Also see Selecting A College.

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