Exactly my point

If all you want is to make a decent living, send your child to the least cost college. BTW, those three public stat schools you named, they are just about the same cost for OOS as any private colleges. Getting in them with significant merit $$ is much harder than get into a good private school.

I agree 100% that college is only part of one's life. However, that part is the only part that depends on you paying the bills. After college, it is all up to the kid to make things happen.