As commitment season approaches faster than some seniors would like, students going to college are forced to make life-changing decisions all across the country. Around 60% of Michigan’s high school students go directly to college, and only about 12% of that 60% choose to go out of the state of Michigan to further their education. Many different factors come into play when trying to decide where to go to college, one that stands out to many is the price of the school.
A huge benefactor of schools like Michigan State, Central Michigan, or Western Michigan is the in-state tuition while also being able to study at some pretty great schools.
The University of Michigan specifically stands out because of its top-tier education for only around $17,000 a year while its competing schools such as Notre Dame (78k) or UC Berkeley (32k) are much more expensive for a similar education.
It all comes down to personal preference and the amount of money that you are planning to pay to go to college, which differs between students and their families.
Some students base their decision on location, whether that means wanting to be close to home or wanting to get as far away as possible.
Being close to home is a huge plus for some people. Being able to come home for Sunday night family dinners or getting to spend time in your bed when you’re sick can create a great sense of familiarity with the difficulties of college life. Many EGR students want to get out of “the bubble” and are ready for a big change of scenery. Living far from home can encourage personal growth and allow students to make connections with completely different people than in high school. Out-of-state schools embrace independence and force students to live on their own completely.
Many students choose to apply to some out-of-state schools, but ultimately end up choosing to stay in their home state. This can be for a very wide number of reasons.
“We have seen an uptick in students applying out of state but not necessarily enrolling, due to Covid, Cost, and initiatives from Michigan schools, which have been promoting for students to stay,” EGR counselor Elle Burgess said. When it comes to choosing a school out of Michigan, many have their personal preferences and interests. Some really like the Southern school environment, schools like the University of South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Mississippi are hot spots for
kids from the more northern states looking for a change in scenery. Michigan students also look into larger state schools similar to Michigan State or the University of Michigan such as the University of Wisconsin or Indiana University.
Many students also choose to pick their school based on their major or the future of their career. While it’s possible to be successful anywhere, some are interested in growing connections with more competitive schools on the East or West Coast.
Students have also shown interest in “ESPN” schools, which are schools that have extremely successful sports teams the year before the application process. Some examples of these schools are TCU, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina.
More specifically, students at EGR have a very large amount of out-of-state applications to schools all over the US.
As of now the EGR class of 2024 has submitted over 1,000 applications total to 242 schools, 216 of which are outside of Michigan. “Over the years, we have seen growing interest in Colorado, Vermont, East Coast…for this class Indiana, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Colorado,” Burgess said.
In the end, out of state, or staying in Michigan, college is a brand new chapter in life for everyone and there are always opportunities to meet new people and grow no matter the environment.
