[QUOTE=Zillini]
Free education at a highly respected in state school vs. $42,500+ per year for out of state at Harvard (tuition, room & board, books and supplies cost listed at
http://www.collegetoolkit.com/Colleg...d/166027.aspx). Of course that's without any financial assistance that may be available and accumulated savings which would have to be factored in to the decision.
QUOTE]
The endowment at an IL is large enough, that students do not pay the full tuition. Often, (ex. Harvard), if your parents make under a set income school is free; if you go into a public service type position your loans are paid in full, etc. I would wager, that a senior from a state school vs. senior from an IL would owe the same upon graduation. (I am not including state schools where free tuition is given to all students with a certain GPA).
That is only the beginning... Many large firms do not even recruit anywhere but IL or the equivilent. Prior to returning to school for Nursing, I worked as the Admin Manager for a mid-sized Cap. Mkts group. Starting salary w/ bonus for new assoc. was close to 100k. (that was five years ago). Unless you had an in.. we did not look at resumes from State schools and/or many Private schools. I would argue w/ the type of network that ILs offer, the earning potential is far greater on base.