The bottom line is that education is a business decision.

If your child is interested in pursuing a field that requires higher education, then it's the right choice. But, buyer beware. All schools are selling your young adult a dream. The field she is interested in should dictate where she applies. For instance, if her career path will require graduate school, then she may get more bang for her buck attending an in-state school where the tuition is substantially less and save the student debt load and or mom and dad's education savings for grad school. If she wants to work as a veterinarian at Disney's Wild Kingdom, they hire almost exclusively from a veterinary school in Florida whose name eludes me at the moment. Your family is making a rather expensive purchase, and due diligence is required.

And for the record, I do not have a college degree. I chose the military straight out of High School. I do have a successful business with 35 employees working for me, and many with college degrees 😂. My daughters don't need a scholarship or student loans; I already have money for school put away for them should they choose that career path. To say going to college is the only route to success is beyond ignorance. Success requires some small measure of intelligence, a solid work ethic and the ability to think independently. That's it. And it can be taught at home - not at the US News Top 100 schools.

(How's my grammar?)