deacondamo
El Jefe
It CAN BE a pretty big deal. In the workplace, I can see it paying off if your employer values a Wake undergrad education over, say NCSU. But most employers don't even care where you went to undergrad. 1-2 years of good experience makes that line on the resume pointless. Actual job skills and the ability to communicate well further obliterate the "Education" line on most resumes. Example: I am now hiring two IT people. I have had 4 total interviews with the 2 people and have absolutely no clue if or where they attended college.
On the other hand, I can see the additional cost of a Wake degree paying off if you use the Wake degree to springboard into a top 10 graduate program in your field of choice.
The point is that while we all know a degree from Wake is more difficult to achieve and teaches you "more" than a UNC education, it's not a guaranteed path to additional compensation.
Maybe that is true in your industry. In my industry (law), all of my employers have been very impressed by my Wake undergrad degree.
As noted above, a top 25 school is a pretty big deal. We are wondering whether it is worth the cost differential between the in-state public universities.