state university vs. private college?

Question

I mean, why do so many superficial people think your school pedigree actually matters? I personally know people that went to private institutions to study liberal arts. Ok, that is just laughable. Meanwhile, I'm studying GIS at a public school, and I'll probably be making more money than they ever will. Not that I care, just trying to make a point. Fact is, employers don't really care if you went to Yale or _________ State Uni. Get over it people. Stop kidding yourselves.

Answer 1

Pedigree shouldn't matter. But, it may look more impressive if someone were to get a law degree from Harvard vs. NIU (best law department nearby that I could think of). Sure, everything depends on the person, so said NIU lawyer could be 'better' than the Harvard lawyer.

I will be a college freshman in the fall, and I am attending Northwestern University planning on focusing in engineering (what specific field...I don't know yet). I visited MSOE, Notre Dame, Purdue, University of Illinois (urbana-champaign). I applied to Purdue, U of I, and Northwestern. By no means can my family afford Northwestern straight up (or Purdue or U of I for that matter).

I was accepted to all three. At Purdue, I would pay approximately 25 grand a year. U of I - 23,600. NU - 46,000+. These totals are all pre aid. Post aid awards: Purdue - 23,000; U of I - 22,9000; NU - 18,500.

Moral of that story - the PRIVATE school which is expensive, prestigious, and snobbish provided me the best opportunity to get a high quality education. Is NU expensive? Not for me or many of its students. Is NU prestigious? Sure, but so what? Is NU snobbish? No, and there are always snobbish people at any school you go to. Am I saying NU is the best school? Maybe not. Is it right for me? By all means, yes. I love NU and can't wait to experience it.

And clearly, you do care. You are assuming that someone who went to a private school thinks they are better than everyone else. So what if they go there? Maybe they just love the atmosphere (and I truly believe you must feel at home at a school to learn well). That doesn't mean that they are some rich bureaucrat wanting to kiss a** in the workplace.

And damn it, why do you care so freaking much about money? Seriously, if they want to study liberal arts at a private college, fine. What the hell is so laughable about liberal arts? That they aren't a socially inept asshole who wants to feel better about himself by calling liberal arts schooling 'laughable' and wanting to put himself on a pedestal because he may or may not make more money than said liberal arts student?

Sorry to anybody who is reading my answer, but I get so frustrated when people want to make themselves sound better because of their schooling or try to invalidate someone else's. Do I sound like a jerk? Yea, probably. But what you, question asker, are missing is that schooling provides a means for someone to pursue a field that will make them happy in life. It's not about money, politics, prestige, or any other crap like that. So, please, just let people be who they want to be.

At this point, I'm not really answering the question. But, employers will look at one's school with some consideration in hiring. What it really comes down to is who fits said job best.

Go U Northwestern!

Answer 2

If you manage to do well, I'm glad for you, but you are sounding really defensive. No, you aren't a better human being if you went to Yale rather than Southwest Eastern North College, but you will have far more opportunities in life. And there's nothing laughable about going to a private institution to study lliberal arts. College is about becoming an educated person, with the side benefit that this makes you more employable. If all you want is a job, then you could have started working at 4 and skipped all that annoying elementary and high school nonsense.

Answer 3

School pedigree doesn't matter as much for job prospects as what your major was, so you're sort of right. On the other hand, for things like applying for graduate and professional schools, and for certain very competitive jobs, the big name schools can open a lot of doors.

Of course, some of the big name schools are public. Alumni association connections can also be very important in some fields, and while the big name private schools are good for those, so are the big name public schools, since they actually have many more highly successful graduates just by their sheer size.

What's more important is that in a lot of fields, what you learned in college actually matters. I know of one software company that generally only hires graduates of about five colleges - the ones that teach the things that they need their graduates to know. These don't include Harvard or Yale by the way, but do include some public schools.

Anyways, I agree that private is not always better than public, but to say that all colleges are the same is just incorrect.

Answer 4

lol not sure what your question is, but i'll put in my two cents...

i go to a state college. it's lower level for my degree (english) but has a great med school and the one of the best college papers in the country. i get my education for free, thanks to financial aid and a scholarship from the state given to all graduates of state accredited high schools. i was accepted to a couple private schools, but i never really considered going there... i mean, who would pay upwards of $30,000 a YEAR when they're being offered a comparable education for free?

i think that in the minds of many, there is a familiar appeal to going to a well-known college. just as people gravitate towards name brand products in the stores, there is something that makes people feel good about everyone ELSE knowing exactly what they're purchasing, whether it's peanut butter or a college education. it's that pesky ego thing that constantly gets in the way, and it kind of angers me.

i'm proud of my school, and the education that i'm getting!

GO LOBOS! ;)

Answer 5

There's nothing wrong with state schools at all. Just avoid the for-profit schools like University of Phoenix, American Intercontinental, Kaplan, Everest, ITT Tech, etc. All the other schools that have TV commercials. Those are bad news.

Answer 6

I'm not sure about that. Some employers do look at the name of the university where you graduated. Others don't.

Answer 7

It depends