Is it worth it to go to a less prestigious school because you know you could get nearly full tuition, even though you could get into a more prestigious school?

Hi Sam!

You asked a very important question.

In the long run, the prestige of the school matters little, the most important factor is how you do in the school and what you do with the knowledge that you gained while there.

From my experience, it is only worth it when that more prestigious school is an ivy league schools. My brother graduated from Carnegie Mellon and employer interest difference obvious when they see his resume.