If you’re going to put the time and money in, get something you’ll be happy with and able to fall back on, not just a check-the-box degree. If you ever need it (lost medical, industry downturn, robot overlords usurp all pilot jobs) you’ll be glad you have it.
State schools are almost always cheaper than private and pretty indistinguishable from each other. Since you aren’t interested in pursuing an elite degree, just avoid the bottom tier, not worth the paper they’re published on types like UoP, Trident, etc. Stay away from any school that’s had accreditation issues in the recent past.
I think US News and Money magazines put out college rankings (with price tags) annually, probably a good place to start.
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