For majors I'm looking at Political Science, International Affairs, or History.......but I could end up switching all around. Then go to UW by all means. Those are degrees that either may not pay well at the bachelor's level, or will require grad school. if you quit with a bachelor's and aren't making a ton of money, you're really gonna appreciate the $20,000 less in loans. If you do go on to grad school, I can't see UW pulling less weight on your application, and once you're in grad school, your undergrad degree becomes almost meaningless. People only care about my terminal degree, as I've never even been asked in a professional setting where I did undergrad. Too liberal? There's a socialist party chapter near me in Texas. With a population that big, you'll find plenty of like-minded people, even if they aren't the majority.