---
title: How to Choose the Best College for You
description: When picking your college, you should look at affordability, location, and what graduates are doing and where they're working.
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    url: https://money.com/author/kate-santichen/
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published: '2015-10-01T14:21:09.000Z'
modified: '2024-04-02T05:03:33.000Z'
section: Education
tags:
  - choosing the right college
  - College
  - mablene krueger
  - RMU Illinois
  - Robert Morris University
  - student debt
  - successful
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word_count: 153
canonical: https://money.com/how-choose-right-college-tips/
type: Article
source: structured-blocks
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![Screen Shot 2015-09-22 at 1.06.55 PM](https://img.money.com/2015/09/screen-shot-2015-09-22-at-1-06-55-pm.png)

How do you decide which college is best for you? Mablene Krueger, president of [Robert Morris University Illinois](https://money.com/best-colleges/), has some tips for students and families. She suggests you think about these issues:

**Graduates' jobs after graduation: "**Salary is important, but can you see yourself doing what they're doing?" Krueger says.

**Location:** Where is the university? What kind of internships and employers are within walking distance?

**Affordability:** Find out what kind of grants and loans are available for students to offset the net cost of a degree.

**Graduation rate and average time to degree. "**Net tuition \[cost\] means very little," she says, "if it takes students six, seven or eight years to graduate."

**Tours and talks:** You should feel like you fit in to the community at a college. Talk to students and faculty members, and take tours. Get to know the place.

***Read More: [Find the best college for your needs—and your wallet.](https://money.com/best-colleges/)***

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