Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 11:08     Subject: Re:Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
….since I wasn’t accepted into Ann Arbor…..


I was
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:46     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Florida with housing is more like 43K a year OOS. Yeah it's Michigan but is it worth that much more than Florida or a much cheaper state school?
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:42     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
DD is full pay at a T10 University and half through 2nd year. I am leaning to it not being worth it. The classes she's had are all huge lectures (all STEM). The professors have been mediocre. The advantages are (1) prestige, and, (2) being surrounded by extremely talented kids that, I guess, "drive" her. But I'm not so sure. I think the cost--whether $350 or $400 (it's on the high end of that range) is just too high in 2025. I probably would have given a different answer ten years ago. The reality is that she could have gone to a great school for 1/3 of the $$$ and that capital could have been redeployed elsewhere.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:27     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is any college education worth $400k?

Note: I can report that the tuition is just a part of it. We are spending a small fortune on off-campus housing, food, (ahem) entertainment, etc. in a supposedly affordable area…it’s obscene.

I wonder if the money would have been better spent on investments to supplement my kid’s future earnings following a less expensive college path (eg, community college followed by in-state flagship).


Currently Michigan costs about 346K for 4 years. Not 400K

FACT


I am currently spending $1,100/month on off campus housing—plus utilities—and the lease is for 12 months. FACT

Food, gas, and entertainment (think: restaurants, bars, clubs, sporting events, concerts, and random travel) add up. FACT

Travel to/from home when students are apt to travel is pricey. FACT

It all costs a small fortune times 4 years, and it’s all on top of the tuition. FACT

Plus, as the schools continue to plug holes left by the administration’s cuts to research, tuition will undoubtedly jump.


Not PP but the estimated $346k COA includes $1,354 in estimated living expenses (over 12 months), plus $400 per year for transportation and another $2,372 per year for miscellaneous personal expenses. You might be paying more but it isn’t as if the COA numbers don’t try to capture this.


Sorry, $1,354 per month* over a 12 month period.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:26     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:this thread could benefit by having people name the selective valuable programs, schools, and majors, etc.


Would probably do it for Ross. Not sure for anything else.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:25     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is any college education worth $400k?

Note: I can report that the tuition is just a part of it. We are spending a small fortune on off-campus housing, food, (ahem) entertainment, etc. in a supposedly affordable area…it’s obscene.

I wonder if the money would have been better spent on investments to supplement my kid’s future earnings following a less expensive college path (eg, community college followed by in-state flagship).


Currently Michigan costs about 346K for 4 years. Not 400K

FACT


I am currently spending $1,100/month on off campus housing—plus utilities—and the lease is for 12 months. FACT

Food, gas, and entertainment (think: restaurants, bars, clubs, sporting events, concerts, and random travel) add up. FACT

Travel to/from home when students are apt to travel is pricey. FACT

It all costs a small fortune times 4 years, and it’s all on top of the tuition. FACT

Plus, as the schools continue to plug holes left by the administration’s cuts to research, tuition will undoubtedly jump.


Not PP but the estimated $346k COA includes $1,354 in estimated living expenses (over 12 months), plus $400 per year for transportation and another $2,372 per year for miscellaneous personal expenses. You might be paying more but it isn’t as if the COA numbers don’t try to capture this.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:20     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
lol...only a fool would pay $400,000 for Michigan. Maybe a wealthy mid student would go for something like that, but Michigan is a great value for in state students or those who get merit/need aid. Otherwise, hard, hard pass.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:20     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is any college education worth $400k?

Note: I can report that the tuition is just a part of it. We are spending a small fortune on off-campus housing, food, (ahem) entertainment, etc. in a supposedly affordable area…it’s obscene.

I wonder if the money would have been better spent on investments to supplement my kid’s future earnings following a less expensive college path (eg, community college followed by in-state flagship).


Currently Michigan costs about 346K for 4 years. Not 400K

FACT


I am currently spending $1,100/month on off campus housing—plus utilities—and the lease is for 12 months. FACT

Food, gas, and entertainment (think: restaurants, bars, clubs, sporting events, concerts, and random travel) add up. FACT

Travel to/from home when students are apt to travel is pricey. FACT

It all costs a small fortune times 4 years, and it’s all on top of the tuition. FACT

Plus, as the schools continue to plug holes left by the administration’s cuts to research, tuition will undoubtedly jump.


Housing and incidentals are an included cost in the $360k. Flights aren’t that expensive and my kid drove junior and senior year and paid for $100 in gas. Please refer to the UM website for OOS that a pp posted.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:20     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:These threads on silly. Such a value proposition will be different for every family and kid depending on circumstances/interests etc. There is no universal answer.

This feels like internet trolling at peak time suck. Who cares that some anonymous poster emphatically disagrees with my family’s decisions?

I do wish the board would get back to helpful information sharing.


It is trolling. The OP makes it sound like Michigan is an outlier among elite schools in terms of expense.


I'm confused as I'm not seeing this by OP. I think the comparison that was made was to in-state options like UVA.



Said DMV area. Could be a DC or Maryland resident
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:15     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:These threads on silly. Such a value proposition will be different for every family and kid depending on circumstances/interests etc. There is no universal answer.

This feels like internet trolling at peak time suck. Who cares that some anonymous poster emphatically disagrees with my family’s decisions?

I do wish the board would get back to helpful information sharing.


It is trolling. The OP makes it sound like Michigan is an outlier among elite schools in terms of expense.


I'm confused as I'm not seeing this by OP. I think the comparison that was made was to in-state options like UVA.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:09     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:These threads on silly. Such a value proposition will be different for every family and kid depending on circumstances/interests etc. There is no universal answer.

This feels like internet trolling at peak time suck. Who cares that some anonymous poster emphatically disagrees with my family’s decisions?

I do wish the board would get back to helpful information sharing.


It is trolling. The OP makes it sound like Michigan is an outlier among elite schools in terms of expense.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 10:07     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is any college education worth $400k?

Note: I can report that the tuition is just a part of it. We are spending a small fortune on off-campus housing, food, (ahem) entertainment, etc. in a supposedly affordable area…it’s obscene.

I wonder if the money would have been better spent on investments to supplement my kid’s future earnings following a less expensive college path (eg, community college followed by in-state flagship).


Currently Michigan costs about 346K for 4 years. Not 400K

FACT


I am currently spending $1,100/month on off campus housing—plus utilities—and the lease is for 12 months. FACT

Food, gas, and entertainment (think: restaurants, bars, clubs, sporting events, concerts, and random travel) add up. FACT

Travel to/from home when students are apt to travel is pricey. FACT

It all costs a small fortune times 4 years, and it’s all on top of the tuition. FACT

Plus, as the schools continue to plug holes left by the administration’s cuts to research, tuition will undoubtedly jump.

It sounds like you’re enjoying your college years. Congrats!
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:59     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
These threads on silly. Such a value proposition will be different for every family and kid depending on circumstances/interests etc. There is no universal answer.

This feels like internet trolling at peak time suck. Who cares that some anonymous poster emphatically disagrees with my family’s decisions?

I do wish the board would get back to helpful information sharing.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:57     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is any college education worth $400k?

Note: I can report that the tuition is just a part of it. We are spending a small fortune on off-campus housing, food, (ahem) entertainment, etc. in a supposedly affordable area…it’s obscene.

I wonder if the money would have been better spent on investments to supplement my kid’s future earnings following a less expensive college path (eg, community college followed by in-state flagship).


Currently Michigan costs about 346K for 4 years. Not 400K

FACT


I'm not sure this is much of a difference and you'll end up spending thousands more over 4 years on flights and also on off-campus housing and food. You start out thinking your kid will live in dorms and then suddenly you're paying a small fortune for apartments that are on 12 month leases. As a previous poster mentioned, other large costs accrue.

Doesn’t change the fact that currently Michigan undergrad isn’t costing anywhere near 400K. Pointless thread.
Anonymous
Post 12/17/2025 09:55     Subject: Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is any college education worth $400k?

Note: I can report that the tuition is just a part of it. We are spending a small fortune on off-campus housing, food, (ahem) entertainment, etc. in a supposedly affordable area…it’s obscene.

I wonder if the money would have been better spent on investments to supplement my kid’s future earnings following a less expensive college path (eg, community college followed by in-state flagship).


Currently Michigan costs about 346K for 4 years. Not 400K

FACT


I am currently spending $1,100/month on off campus housing—plus utilities—and the lease is for 12 months. FACT

Food, gas, and entertainment (think: restaurants, bars, clubs, sporting events, concerts, and random travel) add up. FACT

Travel to/from home when students are apt to travel is pricey. FACT

It all costs a small fortune times 4 years, and it’s all on top of the tuition. FACT

Plus, as the schools continue to plug holes left by the administration’s cuts to research, tuition will undoubtedly jump.