Is Notre Dame or Northwestern worth the coin over UM? $60K vs $30K

Submitted by diag squirrel on

We all love and appreciate what UM has done for us. My sister's son was accepted last month, and he has a really good shot at ND and Northwestern too. I don't think he has any idea what he wants to study, so far he's just really well rounded. I know my sis and BIL will come to me and ask if the $30K per year premium over UM's in-state is worth it for that status badge. Even as an alum, it's a really tough question to answer. I know for a fact Notre Dame is nearly impossible to get into if you're not a legacy.

I'm sort of responsible for getting him hooked to even caring about NU and ND in the first place. I visited the campuses with him when he was in 9th and 10th grade, as I figured if he shot for them, he'd be a lock for UM. It worked, but he tried so hard that he has a very legit shot at both ND and NU, which kind of blows me away.

Is there a $XXXK household income threshold you should be at where this decision is a non-issue? e.g. under $200K go to UM, $350K+ let the kid go where he wants?

ColumbiaWolverine

January 29th, 2015 at 1:39 AM ^

I have to agree with the other posters on here when it comes to cost. You just have to go with your most cost-effective option, especially when it comes to a Bachelor's degree. As a recent grad currently seeking a Master's, quite frankly I don't believe that a Bachelor's is enough anymore. Nowadays a Bachelor's is seen as the bare minimum for most entry-level jobs in virtually any profession, and nearly all recent grads will need to pursue some form of education past their undergrad (i.e. Master's, PhD, Law/Med, etc) in order to move up within their field of interest.

That being said, while experience, alumni connections, rankings, and other factors that make name brand schools such as Northwestern, Notre Dame, and Michigan such attractive options, if cost is a major issue it would be unwise to incur heavy student loans during your undergraduate. Especially considering that in today's job market, you'll most likely be sent back to school at some point anyway. That's just my two cents from recent experience as a Michigan grad who tested the job market with a Bachelor's alone (although my path is somewhat unconventional).

With all that said, sounds like your nephew has some great options, but how could you go wrong attending Michigan?! Go blue is the only way to go.

jblaze

January 29th, 2015 at 4:22 AM ^

ND, no. Northwestern, probably depending on the major and what the student eventually wants to do.



I'd suggest figuring all of that put 1st. In many careers, an extra $30 or even $60K isn't a big deal long term.

diag squirrel

January 29th, 2015 at 10:11 AM ^

It's actually $30K premium per year x4, so $120K total for the ND or NU badge over in-state at UM. And there are 50,000 kids per year who apply to both, most of which will gladly cut that full boat coast of attendance check without a second thought. Let's not forget, many kids attending these top tier schools were polished at private or prep secondary schools; those alone cost $40K-$200K for four years. Many people spare no expense for the education of their childen, period. More important than flashy houses, cars, vacation home. And others make so much money there's nothing left to spend it on, so why not throw $40K year for prep school, $20K for an admissions coach and $60K year for the highest ranked undergrad the kids can get into.

notYOURmom

January 29th, 2015 at 9:01 AM ^

I used to be on the Northwestern faculty so I am pretty confident in saying that although it may be a bit "posher" than UM, on average UM is the better school.



Since is it also cheaper I don't even see this as an issue.



Norte Dame is NOT in either' league academically (check the ratings). Don't mistake the fact that it is hard to get into for quality - there are other reasons people apply to ND

Nolongerusingaccount

January 29th, 2015 at 10:46 AM ^

I don't think ND is worth $30K more under any circumstance.  If money were no object, then I would say go to NW over Michigan for undergrad (and this is coming from someone who has benefited greatly from two UM degrees).  

Regardless, nowadays, I think grad school is much more important than undergrad.

IrishLax

January 30th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^

Frankly, you'd get a great education at any of those three, and what you make out of yourself in life is dependant on so many other factors than where you went to undergrad.

If you approach college as strictly a return on investment standpoint, then you should be evaluating which schools excel in majors that will place you in a highly compensated field after graduation. Michigan embrasses Notre Dame (and Northwestern, to a degree) in almost all engineering disciplines. That's an easy choice.

With regards to business, Ross is pretty clearly superior Mendoza for graduate school. For undergrad though, anyone telling you that Mendoza sucks or you don't get placed well from there or whatever is either uninformed or lying to you. There are no facts to substantiate that Mendoza grads don't have truly elite job placement.

I went through a similar decision (Virginia [in-state tuition... great public university comparable to Michigan] vs. Notre Dame vs. non-big 3 Ivies)... all I can say is that if you're not going to Harvard/Princeton/Yale/Stanford I think your nephew should just pick the best fit and not look back. How comfortable he feels at his choice is probably the most important factor on how much "return" he gets on the investment your sister makes in his education.