re: Bama offering full ride. . .vs paying more to go to a better school

Eh, I think there is a lot more to the college experience than just getting the piece of paper at the end. Motivated, smart people that apply themselves in fields that pay a decent wage are going to be fine financially (debt or no debt).

I’m generally in the camp of go to the best possible school. The exit opportunities whether for graduate school or the workforce provide option value that is difficult to quantify. If you want to stay in a local market and build a life there then it may make sense to do be cost conscious and stay local. Again, I bias towards what can wedge an opportunity that otherwise might be closed even for a high achiever.