Hockstolm

Thanks everyone for the responses. I am already working full time in Manhattan with a good job and would like to get my masters part time which makes other nearby programs unviable, even though something like Rutgers would be a great option. Since I'm already working I'm looking for knowledge rather than a network. I think it's most likely that I will stop at a masters as I'm not strongly drawn to academia, but it would be nice to keep that option open. The $30,000 difference is likely an understatement. CUNY would be under $11,000 whereas Columbia is $48,500-$56,000 depending on how long it takes to complete. That also doesn't account for tuition inflation which at Columbia has historically been 5%. And again, I haven't heard great things about Columbia's MA program. The online programs I'm looking at are closer to $20,000 and are rigorous, and I'm not opposed to the format, but like most I'd rather attend in person all things being equal.

Does anyone have an opinion they're willing to share? The other options I'm considering are the online programs offered by Texas A&M, Iowa State, and Penn State. These are appealing because they're flexible and highly ranked like Columbia but are less than half the cost. Any thoughts?

What is the general opinion comparing these programs? Both Hunter and Baruch/Zicklin have a statistics masters. Columbia is obviously a top school but I have read some not-so-great things about their MA in Statistics program (of course Columbia's PhD has a much better reputation). Is Columbia worth the additional tuition, at the very least an extra $30,000? A related but more general question: if I decide in the future that I want to do a PhD, do you think having the Ivy name would be a big help or CUNY would be a detractor in applying to top programs? If it makes a difference I am more interested in applied stats.