Choosing a college should depend on more than just tuition. Don’t get me wrong, tuition is a major aspect of college, especially if you are helping put your child through it. However, there are a lot more things to consider before you choose your (or your child’s) college.

I always recommend taking a tour of the campus, both hosted and not hosted if possible. The hosted tour will give you the information of the college, the history, its mission, etc. The not-hosted tour will allow you (and your child) to see the dorm rooms, mingle with some of the students, and get a feel for what life on that campus is like. If possible, meet with an advisor during one of these tours to speak about options. Colleges are not always the best about telling you all of the information that could make your life easier. Asking the advisor about these things will get you more direct answers.

In addition to tuition and the information you gain from the tours, maybe even before you decide to take a tour of some colleges, visit a college ranking website. Websites like College Rankings will give you the nationwide rankings of some of the top schools. This particular site uses categories for rankings such as: academics, campus attributes, athletics, student body, Greek life, health and safety, and some other options.

You also have the option to search by state or area so if you are looking for a specific area, this filter will help. If you have one college in mind, you can also directly search the rankings and reviews listed on that particular college. This website, or ones like it, may be able to help you consider all of the options and aspects of a good college for you or your children.

Too early to be looking into college for your kids? College Rankings has that covered as well. An additional part of the website is dedicated to giving overall ranking to local K-12 schools in the area that you are searching or living in. This addition doesn’t have as much information as the college rankings, but it has enough information to help you choose a good school for your kids.

Planning financially for college tuition is a, if not the, major concern of most parents and students looking to attend college. However, some more financial planning may be in order before you feel you are set. Check out our blogs on college student insurance tips and information to get more information about how to prepare for any surprises that may arise.

College is an important part of a person’s life and it shouldn’t be spent worrying about how to financially or emotionally survive through it. We at Southern Colorado Insurance Center want to help you be prepared and avoid any risks that come with planning for school or any other life change. To get more information about the services we provide or ways in which we can help you and your family, give Debbie a call at (719) 329-4441 or email her at .