Is UNC worth the cost of out of state tuition?
- Thread starter RebelCPA
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I was an out-of-state UNC student not too long ago (graduated in 2010). I got a reasonable amount of financial aid, and also got a couple small scholarships (not from the University), which made it pretty affordable. I haven't kept up with the current tuition costs of UNC and comparable schools, but at least as of the time I applied, UNC was the #1 value amongst colleges in the country for in-state tuition, and was still pretty highly ranked for out-of-state tuition. With my financial aid and scholarships I was paying roughly in-state tuition, so it worked out well for me.
We are comparing it to a couple of privates that are higher and a few state schools that are significantly cheaper. UNC has raised the price of OOS $10k in just the last four years (according to their web-site) and now the full cost of attendance is around $50k/year for OOS.
@RebelCPA
I was an out-of-state student and graduated in 2012. Let me try my best to answer your question. I'll break it down into 2 categories:
1. What is your son (just gonna refer to your offspring as a son to make it easier) hoping to get out of the college experience. Is he interested in all the "add-ons" that come outside the classroom like athletics, fraternity, local events, eateries, festivals, nature? Or is he more just geared toward his studies? This is important to consider. If your son does value experiencing cool stuff outside the classroom, that's a huge check mark for Carolina, especially compared to private schools. UNC offers such excellent athletics (which are free for students to attend by the way) as well as the area of Chapel Hill is located so close to many amazing places, that it is a huge positive about UNC. Personally, I wanted no part of a school that didn't have major D1 athletics. That truly adds to campus life and the college experience, in my opinion. Please note: Don't think that I'm saying Carolina isn't for him if all he wants to do is go to class. That's not what I'm saying! As y'all know, Carolina is a great academic school. I'm merely contrasting UNC with private schools, especially if it's private schools in the North -- UNC just has so much more to offer than just class. It's in a really good area and in a really amazing state.
2. Does your son plan on doing graduate school after undergrad? This is where UNC might not make sense to you and your son, financially. If he knows he wants to attend graduate school, and especially if you're going to help him finance graduate school, then Carolina might not make sense for y'all. Perhaps that money would be better served at a cheaper in-state school so that y'all can save up for graduate school. However, if your son wants to major in something that won't require additional schooling after undergrad (journalism, just to name an example), then that should definitely be a check mark in UNC's favor. You'll find that Carolina is nationally ranked in most of the majors it offers.
**I'd be remiss not to mention this as well, and I'm sure some will rip me for this, but it would be unjust not to include this information. Despite the fact that the state of North Carolina is a "purple" state that leans slightly right, UNC is far, far from "purple." It is a very, very liberal campus and touches a town called Carrboro that is even further liberal (think of your stereotypical millenial liberal and that's Carrboro). Now, I come from a very conservative family and knew going into it that UNC was going to be very liberal. Just know that going in. Sure, there's conservatives there too, but the liberal voice certainly rings loudest. Your son will experience it when he reads the Daily Tar Heel each day, and will experience it every day on campus when he sees all sorts of activist groups speaking out about topics and issues. Now, this isn't necessarily the end of the world. This experience helped solidify my political views and my world views and certainly made me more secure with my beliefs and opinions -- which is part of what college is about. I'm not saying your kid is going to turn into a hippie or anything, I'm just making you aware that UNC is significantly further left than is normal for a college campus (most of which all lean a bit left as it is).
Hope this helps!!! UNC has faults but it truly is a fantastic school and you cannot go wrong there if that's what y'all decide.
I was an out-of-state student and graduated in 2012. Let me try my best to answer your question. I'll break it down into 2 categories:
1. What is your son (just gonna refer to your offspring as a son to make it easier) hoping to get out of the college experience. Is he interested in all the "add-ons" that come outside the classroom like athletics, fraternity, local events, eateries, festivals, nature? Or is he more just geared toward his studies? This is important to consider. If your son does value experiencing cool stuff outside the classroom, that's a huge check mark for Carolina, especially compared to private schools. UNC offers such excellent athletics (which are free for students to attend by the way) as well as the area of Chapel Hill is located so close to many amazing places, that it is a huge positive about UNC. Personally, I wanted no part of a school that didn't have major D1 athletics. That truly adds to campus life and the college experience, in my opinion. Please note: Don't think that I'm saying Carolina isn't for him if all he wants to do is go to class. That's not what I'm saying! As y'all know, Carolina is a great academic school. I'm merely contrasting UNC with private schools, especially if it's private schools in the North -- UNC just has so much more to offer than just class. It's in a really good area and in a really amazing state.
2. Does your son plan on doing graduate school after undergrad? This is where UNC might not make sense to you and your son, financially. If he knows he wants to attend graduate school, and especially if you're going to help him finance graduate school, then Carolina might not make sense for y'all. Perhaps that money would be better served at a cheaper in-state school so that y'all can save up for graduate school. However, if your son wants to major in something that won't require additional schooling after undergrad (journalism, just to name an example), then that should definitely be a check mark in UNC's favor. You'll find that Carolina is nationally ranked in most of the majors it offers.
**I'd be remiss not to mention this as well, and I'm sure some will rip me for this, but it would be unjust not to include this information. Despite the fact that the state of North Carolina is a "purple" state that leans slightly right, UNC is far, far from "purple." It is a very, very liberal campus and touches a town called Carrboro that is even further liberal (think of your stereotypical millenial liberal and that's Carrboro). Now, I come from a very conservative family and knew going into it that UNC was going to be very liberal. Just know that going in. Sure, there's conservatives there too, but the liberal voice certainly rings loudest. Your son will experience it when he reads the Daily Tar Heel each day, and will experience it every day on campus when he sees all sorts of activist groups speaking out about topics and issues. Now, this isn't necessarily the end of the world. This experience helped solidify my political views and my world views and certainly made me more secure with my beliefs and opinions -- which is part of what college is about. I'm not saying your kid is going to turn into a hippie or anything, I'm just making you aware that UNC is significantly further left than is normal for a college campus (most of which all lean a bit left as it is).
Hope this helps!!! UNC has faults but it truly is a fantastic school and you cannot go wrong there if that's what y'all decide.
Maybe he is already a liberal and that is the thing that floats his boat the most. You just made a sale!
Wow, that's considerable.
I love UNC as much as anybody, but I'm not sure UNC as an undergraduate institution is a good value at that price point. @TarHeelNation11 has already made this point in his #2 above, but I would only recommend UNC undergraduate if your child is going to pursue a major that will make him/her employable without a graduate degree. Since so many professions now require (or look more favorably upon) graduate degrees, your money might be better spent sending your child to a less expensive in-state school for undergraduate, and then applying what you saved towards graduate school somewhere like Carolina. JMO.
I think the value proposition is one that only your family can answer. Certainly there are less expensive options that may provide an equal or nearly equal education by going to an in-state school or starting at a community college for general education requirements before transferring. I can't speak highly enough of my experience at UNC, but it was at in-state rates and partially offset by scholarships. UNC has a wide variety of offerings and many of its schools and departments are highly regarded in their own right. FWIW it is consistently ranked pretty highly by various publications as being one of the top values even taking into account out-of-state tuition and the recent increase.
Choice of college is obviously a critical decision, but still it is outweighed by the student's dedication to making the most of the opportunity by applying himself/herself in terms of both academics and extracurricular activities.
Choice of college is obviously a critical decision, but still it is outweighed by the student's dedication to making the most of the opportunity by applying himself/herself in terms of both academics and extracurricular activities.
Yep. I haven't checked the numbers to verify that, but if true it would be disheartening but not surprising. Especially in today's world where "in-state" and "out-of-state" is becoming more and more of a meaningless concept, due to the transient nature of our society.
But if those numbers are true, then it is much more expensive than it was for me, and that was just 6, 5, and 4 years ago. No way would I have gone to Carolina if the tuition now is what it was then. I would've just stayed at UGA.
I didn't attend UNC as an out-of-state student, and I'm sure the cost of attendance has risen since (2006), but here is something to consider:
What most students are taught in the classroom as an undergraduate is useless. Half of it can't be applied to a higher degree. There is no real specialization. It's an academic sheepskin that proves you can start something and finish it. I know that isn't what parents want to hear, but it's the uncomfortable truth admissions counselors won't tell you.
That doesn't mean those credits have little or no monetary value. You damn well better learn the basics because that's what employers expect. And those first four years should place you on an obvious career track. I ended up joining the Marine Corps because I wasn't smart enough to become a doctor, lawyer, professor, CPA, CFA, etc. But even then most candidates pursuing commissioned officership are required to have a bachelor's degree.
The important thing is going beyond the classroom work. That's what sets Carolina apart from every other university. It offers the optimal blend of college education and experience. Working hard and getting good grades doesn't guarantee a good job. The benefits of networking and developing desirable personal attributes are invaluable. Some of my most lasting and meaningful relationships started at UNC. Connections that I could count on to open doors down the road.
There are downsides to this type of learning environment. Large public schools are breeding grounds for masses of people with different backgrounds and belief systems which can be anxiety provoking and often neglect to cultivate the introverted sides of personalities. UNC is no different in this regard.
Overall, your college experience is what you make of it. Whether or not it's enjoyable and worth it is more or less a conscious decision. So, a better question might be, how much would your son or daughter embrace college life? If he or she is outgoing and receptive to an enhanced college experience, then UNC is more than worth it.
ETA: I would caution against choosing a less prestigious school as a cheaper alternative if your son or daughter wants to continue his or her education at a competitive professional school (I'm guessing this is likely since he or she was smart enough to get in out-of-state) because everyone in the applicant pool will have high GPA/test scores, applicable work experience, and strong letters of recommendation, that's when college branding can make a difference.
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