Should I go to a state school or a private university?
The state school wins on cost-adjusted outcomes unless a specific private program offers a credential the field demands.
Layer 1 / 7Concepts & question
Frame the question
Set the purpose, the question worth reasoning about, and the concepts the whole house rests on.
Purpose
Decide between a state university and a private university, so the choice weighs cost, academic fit, career outcomes, and family finances.
Overarching question
Should I go to a state school or a private university?
Key concepts
Return on tuitionDebt-to-income ratioAcademic fitCampus culture
Layer 2 / 7Stakeholders
Build the perspectives
Reason from each stakeholder in turn. Assign perspectives to co-builders so the work divides cleanly.
4 perspectives
The studentYOYou64
Wants the best education without crippling debt.
ParentsMRMaya R.60
Balance aspiration against the family budget.
Future employerDKDevan K.56
Cares about skills and internships more than the school name.
Financial aid officeYOYou52
Merit and need-based aid can close the sticker-price gap.
Layer 3 / 7Sourced facts
Ground it in evidence
Add facts with citations. Research Mode finds sources for you, and every claim links back to something checkable.
3 sourced facts
YO
Students who attend selective private colleges earn roughly 7–8 percent more at mid-career, but the gap narrows after controlling for student ability.
Dale & Krueger, NBER Working Paper (2011)
MR
Average student-loan debt at graduation is roughly twice as high at private four-year colleges as at public ones.
College Board, Trends in Student Aid (2024)
Employer surveys consistently rank relevant experience and skills above institutional prestige when evaluating candidates.
NACE Job Outlook Survey, illustrativevia Research Mode
Layer 4 / 7Foundations
Surface the assumptions
Name what has to be true for the reasoning to hold. Weak footings show up here first.
3 foundational assumptions
01The student is admitted to competitive programs at both schools.YO
02Financial aid offers are final and comparable.MR
03The intended major is offered at both institutions.YO
Layer 5 / 7Where it lands
Draw the conclusion
State the central conclusion and the reasoning that carries the perspectives into it.
Central conclusion
Choose the state school unless a specific private program offers a credential, network, or research opportunity the field demands and the debt load is manageable within five years of expected starting salary.
The private-school premium is real in a narrow set of fields and programs, but for most majors the cost-adjusted outcomes favor the public option.
Reasoning summary
Lifetime earnings data show diminishing returns on tuition above a threshold, and the gap narrows further when financial aid and in-state pricing are factored in. The strongest private-school case rests on field-specific placement rates and alumni networks, not general prestige. Debt-to-income ratio at graduation is the clearest gate for whether the premium is worth paying.
Layer 6 / 7Consequences
Trace the implications
Map what follows if the conclusion holds, sorted by how positive, negative, or uncertain each consequence is.
4 implications mappedSorted by register and tagged with time horizon and who it lands on.
Positive · 2
Graduating with little or no debt opens career choices that high debt forecloses.
Near-termThe student
A strong state honors program can match private-school rigor at a fraction of the cost.
Near-termParents
Negative · 1
Passing on a top private program in a prestige-gated field may limit early-career placement.
Near-termFuture employer
Uncertain · 1
Whether the private school's alumni network delivers measurable value in the student's specific field.
Long-termThe student
Signals to watch · would change the conclusion
→The net-price gap after aid, not the sticker-price gap.
→Field-specific placement rates, not university-wide averages.
Layer 7 / 7Score & publish
Review house strength
See how the house scores across evidence, logic, and coverage, what is driving each number, and what would raise it.
57/ 100
Developing
The reasoning is taking shape but leans on thin support. Add evidence and coverage before publishing.
The three scores
EvidenceDeveloping68
How well each claim is backed by a cited, checkable source.
Driving this score3 sourced facts
LogicThin51
Whether assumptions are surfaced and the conclusion follows from them.
Driving this score3 assumptions, no conclusion, 4 implications
CoverageThin48
The range of stakeholder perspectives the house accounts for.
Driving this score4 perspectives
How the overall is weightedEvidence 40% · Logic 35% · Coverage 25%
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