Is $100,000 of debt too much for Computer Science and Engineering Students?
Hi. So, I'm a senior. I'm wanting to attend the University of Iowa and major in Computer Science and Engineering to pursue a bachelor's degree, but it would be about $50,000 each year since I'm an out of state student. After scholarships and the help of my parents, it would be about $25,000 each year. And if you include personal expenses, books, and transport, it would be about $31,000 each year that I'd have to pay back.
The University of Iowa is the only college where I've liked everything that the college and the city it's in has to offer. I've been to Illinois State University as well, and I really liked the college, but I didn't like the feel of their city (Bloomington-Normal) because it didn't look like a good place to live after graduation since it was so run down. That being said, Illinois State would be $15,000 each year ($21,000 if you include personal expenses), and I'm not sure how much the feel of the city should impact my decision. Also, another reason why I liked the University of Iowa and its city so much was because I'm gay and they both seemed pretty supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. I live in a small city where that's not so much the case, and I'm pretty quiet when I'm at school. So, I feel like this could be a good opportunity for me to grow. I'm sure Illinois State could give me those opportunities as well, but again, the city looked really run down and not super welcoming.
Also, one of the reasons why I'm still considering the University of Iowa is that I've heard CSE majors tend to have very high salaries. I don't qualify for FAFSA grants. It's been really hard for me to make a college decision, and I'd like to hear your opinions. Would it be a dumb decision for me to attend the University of Iowa considering its cost?