Being raised in Ohio, I know some friends that go to kent (one flight related) and they all say they love it. It's a moderately sized school with a diverse student body. Flight expenses are definitely the biggest cost, so if you can get that covered I would definitely go that route.

I attended the ERAU Daytona Campus for some time and partially enjoyed my time there. The warm weather is great, plus the beach is less than 15 minutes away. The student population is okay, as you may know it is about 85% male. However, I was not a fan of the flight department. Like many will say, it is definitely over priced and the in house check ride process is a pain. But if you stick with it you can have a degree and your multi-engine commercial cert. in 3-4 years.

If you're thinking about a public school, you might want to consider the University of North Dakota. They're considered to be an alternative to ERAU and have a great flight department.

With regard to pay, it varies. Assuming you're aspiring to be a professional pilot, most new hires in the industry make about the same, regardless of where you went to school. Be aware you need 1000 total flight hours if you graduate from a part 141 school (ERAU, KSU, UND, etc) to work for an airline.

Just my $0.02.