After finishing high school, millions of students every year end up going to a college or university to receive a higher level of education. While this can be a great way to learn more and prepare for a great career, it can also be a challenging process to pick the right school. Here are four tips that can help you pick the right college:

Size of College

One factor that you should consider when you are looking to go to college is figuring out the size of the college that you want to go to. Colleges range in size from just a thousand students to well over 25,000 students. You should spend some time determining whether you would like to go to a smaller liberal arts college or go to a much larger state-run university.

Academic Reputation and Offerings

One of the most important factors in picking the college is the school’s overall academic reputation and offerings. While you may not know exactly what you want to go into already, it would be a good idea to pick a school that has a good General academic reputation and a high job placement rate after graduation. If you already know what you want to study, it is important to confirm that the school offers that program and has a good reputation in the specific field.

Location of College

Another factor that needs to be taken into consideration when picking a college is whether you should go to a school that is nearby or far away. When going to a school nearby, you may be able to save money on room and board and could stay close to your family. However, when you go far away you may be able to experience a whole new city and could meet a lot more people. If you do choose to go far away, you might consider finding a good moving company to help you get your belongings there.

Financial Aid

When you are looking to go to college, you also need to factor in the financial aid availability. The amount of financial aid available through college scholarships and grants varies considerably from one school to the next. You should check with each school’s financial aid office to see what they can offer to you and try to apply for scholarships to see if they are awarded to. This can help to reduce your total expensive.

While picking the right college is a big decision, your ultimate success and happiness in college will be based on how you act and react when school starts. New college students that are willing to work hard in the classroom and get involved with extracurricular activities will be far more likely to succeed.

Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.