If you must fly each time you go to college or come home, this can be quite costly. Again, the family must decide what their finances can afford in order to determine location of school. Finally, do not forget about housing costs versus transportation costs. If you are going to stay on campus this may negate the need for an automobile, car insurance, gas and oil, etc. making living on campus a better deal. While the word GOOD is often in the eye of the beholder there are some things to examine.
Numerous organizations accredit college programs.
Going to a school which has an accredited program in your major may make a difference to an employer or to a graduate school. Rank these criteria and identify schools which meet them. Go to your career center or guidance office and look in the books which provide these data. While colleges will do everything possible to help you finance their school, there still may be a prohibitive amount of loans to acquire to pay for the school. This discussion between parent and child should occur early before dreams are established then broken when the bills start coming in and the realization that you are over your head with debt sinks in.