4 answers
4 answers
Updated
Oscar’s Answer
Not necessarily, look at the quality of the college itself. Many of the large cities have excellent universities. If financially, it makes sense, go for it. It is important to do well, study hard and keep your GPA high. When companies recruit , they will ask and look at your GPA.
Updated
Peter’s Answer
It is really up to you and your finanical stituation. if you pick a good city college and do well, then you should be fine. state or private school give you different experiences (living outside your home, mixing more with your classmates), some people like it and some felt it is not worth it. being in all three and feel fine with all.
Updated
Paul’s Answer
No, it does not. Many professionals, including myself, did not graduate from a well known school. I graduated from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD and I often have to explain to people where it is because they have never heard of it. At the end of the day, all that matters is your G.P.A and any honors you received when you graduated. You have to understand that competition is fierce. Everyone is trying to get the same jobs and what's going to separate you from the competition are your grades, honors programs, extracurricular activities, etc.
You also need to understand that your undergraduate degree will get you in the door and you still have to do the work once you get in. The fancy degree that some people have will only get them so far. They may have better networking opportunities because of the connections they made while in school or alumni contacts but if you put in the work, you can overcome all of that.
You also need to understand that your undergraduate degree will get you in the door and you still have to do the work once you get in. The fancy degree that some people have will only get them so far. They may have better networking opportunities because of the connections they made while in school or alumni contacts but if you put in the work, you can overcome all of that.
Updated
Robert’s Answer
This is a very hard question to answer definitively, as the other answers already suggest. I have taught at schools running the perceived quality gamut (the entire range, including some community colleges) and while I wish I could tell you that the name brand doesn't matter, to some extent it does. You will be perceived in part based on what institution you attended, no matter your GPA and even your work history. It will matter most in hiring, secondly in the preconceptions new colleagues approach you with. BUT...in the long term what really matters is how much you learn in school, whichever school you go to, and for your financial success how much of a value your education turns out to be. If the choice is between taking out big loans to attend a big name but low-teaching-quality institution (I put Caltech, Stanford, and half of the Ivy League on this list, and most schools that place research ahead of undergraduate teaching belong on it as well: in short, many of the "big name" schools) and going to a school with far less of a name but with teaching of the same quality and not taking out crazy loans, I'd advise the latter. Big loans can make sense if you are paying for amazing teaching, with the most extreme examples being schools like Reed, Carleton, Grinnell, and Brandeis. They are death if you go to a rich-kid party school. Big state universities can be a great value if the department you major in prioritizes teaching (U of Wisconsin in Chemistry, for example) or if you really do your homework and bend your schedule around getting great professors - at a big enough school, that's possible. Many community colleges offer (at least some) great teaching, but others are pretty dismal. SIT IN ON CLASSES YOU ARE LIKELY TO TAKE at any school you are considering. THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD ASSESS EDUCATIONAL VALUE BASED ON. The classes and the college have to be a good match FOR YOU, not for your cousin or your mom. Sorry for screaming in all caps there, but I see so many kids pick schools based on the campus tour and the dorm rooms.
Before even applying anywhere, sit in on a college class or two, at different institutions. (I think this is still pretty easy to do; before COVID you could just sit in on them, at least on an open campus.) Failing that, watch some online lectures/classes from a variety of different institutions, to get a sense of the range.
Robert recommends the following next steps: