From my own personal experience of having a degree from a prestigious university, my main source of risk aversion when it comes to startups is opportunity cost. Job offers of +100k a year for a 25 year old are really tempting when you've just spent the last 25 years wondering if you have enough money in your checking account to afford a double cheeseburger.
There's also a lot of pressure from society, family, etc, to go out and "get a real job" once you've graduated, because that's how most people define success. School is a major investment of time and money, and graduating from a prestigious school sets high expectations for that investment.
EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm not arguing that it's a good idea to give in to these pressures/temptations. I'm just saying that they exist, and perhaps more so for people who graduate from prestigious schools.
There's also a lot of pressure from society, family, etc, to go out and "get a real job" once you've graduated, because that's how most people define success. School is a major investment of time and money, and graduating from a prestigious school sets high expectations for that investment.
EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm not arguing that it's a good idea to give in to these pressures/temptations. I'm just saying that they exist, and perhaps more so for people who graduate from prestigious schools.