A lot of good points so far on this stream, but let me offer another option for your son.
If varsity soccer for your child at a D3 school is best for him that's awesome for all the reasons noted. But given all the positives of a major state university and a meaningfully lower all-in cost (in your case), I'd suggest that while D3 or D1 varsity soccer is great in many ways, it's not your child's only option.
I don't know specifically about PSU, but most major universities have very/highly competitive club soccer programs (that can also compete for national championships) partly or fully funded by the school. The "cool factor" and swag are (much) less but so is the time commitment and the pressure.
My son (a recruited high D3/low D1 player) decided school over soccer and now leads his club soccer team - at a top 10 D1 soccer program - and loves it more than when he played serious club (not academy) or HS varsity. In HS we always discussed the fun and risks of varsity college soccer, including injuries, coach issues, etc. We focused on picking the right school, not the right soccer program. While he has soccer friends (both club and varsity) but also a broad range of friends from other interests - just like real life.
It's no cakewalk for many large schools like PSU: I heard my son's freshman year, about 110 boys tried out and the club took 6 between the A & B teams. The teams play ~15 games a Fall (& another 7-10 in the Spring), play in a league, and can by winning the league can compete in regional and national club soccer championships. While it lacks some of the structure (and swag) of the varsity programs, it also lacks the stress, time commitment, travel, and other things. He's now the team Treasurer and on the small committee at his school that oversees/funds all 20+ club sports, so a chance at leadership that he's really enjoyed.
Just a thought... and you'd save a lot of money that could likely be better targeted elsewhere!
If varsity soccer for your child at a D3 school is best for him that's awesome for all the reasons noted. But given all the positives of a major state university and a meaningfully lower all-in cost (in your case), I'd suggest that while D3 or D1 varsity soccer is great in many ways, it's not your child's only option.
I don't know specifically about PSU, but most major universities have very/highly competitive club soccer programs (that can also compete for national championships) partly or fully funded by the school. The "cool factor" and swag are (much) less but so is the time commitment and the pressure.
My son (a recruited high D3/low D1 player) decided school over soccer and now leads his club soccer team - at a top 10 D1 soccer program - and loves it more than when he played serious club (not academy) or HS varsity. In HS we always discussed the fun and risks of varsity college soccer, including injuries, coach issues, etc. We focused on picking the right school, not the right soccer program. While he has soccer friends (both club and varsity) but also a broad range of friends from other interests - just like real life.
It's no cakewalk for many large schools like PSU: I heard my son's freshman year, about 110 boys tried out and the club took 6 between the A & B teams. The teams play ~15 games a Fall (& another 7-10 in the Spring), play in a league, and can by winning the league can compete in regional and national club soccer championships. While it lacks some of the structure (and swag) of the varsity programs, it also lacks the stress, time commitment, travel, and other things. He's now the team Treasurer and on the small committee at his school that oversees/funds all 20+ club sports, so a chance at leadership that he's really enjoyed.
Just a thought... and you'd save a lot of money that could likely be better targeted elsewhere!