For those who went to bottom-tier schools, is it more rude to answer directly when asked what school you attended, or to instead be evasive and let others think you went to a top-tier school? Why?

I am an employer so I look at resumes professionally. I look at the whole package - yes, I want to see a college degree (more because we work with the government and they have rules about rates and degrees) but I want to see what you studied, what you did with that, and what you can do now. I am more impressed when someone put themselves through a bottom-tier school  or got an associates at a local CC, than someone who went to an Ivy paid by mom and dad and got jobs through mom and dad. I am also more impressed by someone who maybe didn't do well in formal education, but has drive and grit to perform in the real world. That tenacity bodes well for their performance as an employee. Honestly, the most valuable thing about a top-tier school is the network you get about 20 years out. Alums will help each other as a general rule and it is a great icebreaker to get in the door.  But that Stanford degree is meaningless if you cannot perform on the job.

What school you went to is a fact, not something that's rude. Not sure what context this question might be asked in, if it's a professional setting, it's rude not to answer accurately. What matters more is what you've done since you went to school. As a small business owner, I look at what degree the person has received, and what experience they have that's relevant to the job requirements. I rarely even register what school the person went to. If it's in a social environment, not answering directly makes a person seem like they're trying to hide something.

I went to a top tier military academy when I was 18, did a year there, then went to India's oldest college in physics honors (again the toughest) for one year, spent 4 years in my country's top 5 business school, and 2 years in India's top 4 business school. I also dropped out a US grad school after 2 semesters (and that was a B grade school)- it can be very confusing for people to understand all the schools I went to Every time I feel the urge to answer truthfully, I remember people who went to Harvard and MIT have more decency and humility than me. Even Einstein was more humble than some of the flashy Ivy leaguers I have seen. So I tell them (when asked professionally)  - I went to study in India , and give them a big idiotic smile.  Maybe it is rude- but I dont want my education to cloud my image. However on a date, it is okay to pretend to give the perception of a top tier school. Everything is fair in love and war.