My kid is a public school kid. The problem with the ivy's is they have the haves and the have nots. If you are poor, you can get a full ride to the ivys with good grades of course. If you make over 200k per year the ivys think you can afford their college. (60k to 70k Per year) Ivys ask for a full financial disclosure from the parents and a future funding commitment. The school then determines what you can afford. At 200k your net bring home after taxes is about $122k. If you fund your 401k that brings you to about $102k. Now you have your mortgage, car payment, other child's expense, food and squeezing 60k to 70k a year out may be hard. This limits the student body to the super wealthy, whose parents do no care for cost, and the poor who get a free ride. Middle class or upper middle class are pushed out.