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Despite the oft-repeated adage "you get what you pay for," the priciest option is not always the best. Nowhere is this more true than in the world of American higher education.

While private education is undoubtedly better at the elementary and secondary levels, higher education is a different situation altogether. First, as far as reputation goes, there are plenty of state schools that far outshine their private counterparts. In the state of Illinois, for example, the prestigious University of Illinois elicits far more acclaim than many of the state's private schools. The University of California system is another example of a "public option" with a top-notch reputation. the University of Florida, the University of Michigan, and the University of Iowa, to name just a few, also possess the ability to impress. Indeed, nearly every state is home to at least one public university that is thought to produce better graduates than a private school in the same region.

Prestigious in their own right, the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of "America's Best Colleges" always include public schools near the top of the list. In fact, throughout any ranking of top colleges and graduate programs, there are almost always a plethora of public universities.

Depending on where a student wishes to work and live after graduation, regional reputation can prove crucial to professional success. Many small, private colleges are well-known only in their immediate surroundings, whereas state schools' influence tends to extend throughout the state.

Of course, reputation isn't everything. There is a host of more tangible benefits that state schools provide. First, of course, is reduced cost. Private educations can sink students into insurmountable debt, often offering the same curriculums and courses as their public competitors. Besides actually costing less - often less than half the price of private schools - public colleges are usually located in low-cost-of-living college towns, or near the student's own home. They also tend to have less rigid requirements for living on-campus, so public students can save even more money by living outside the dorms.

Public schools also often have agreements with the state community colleges regarding transferability of credits. In many instances, if a student takes their general education requirements at a public community college, they are guaranteed to enter a state school with junior standing (saving lots of time and money in the process).

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