Is College Worth the Cost? Part 2

News Type: Event — Seeded on Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:51 PM EDT

Article Source: quote.yahoo.com

business, money, finance, college, economics, investing, tuition

"Isn't a master's degree the new bachelor's?" I hear this all the time when I visit college campuses.

In some ways, the answer is yes. The number of master's degrees conferred is expected to rise 30 percent over the next 10 years, and 40 percent of college graduates will enroll in a graduate program within a decade after college.

But does graduate school pay off? I'll unabashedly ignore the value to humanity of pure research and the liberal arts in answering this question, and focus instead on the hard economics of a graduate education.

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{"commentId":1021816,"authorDomain":"2timothy42"}

Sectim42

I have been wondering this myself.

Frankly I think this speeks to two things about the college generation and younger.

1.) They refuse to grow up. I can't tell you how many of my friends in college just went into Grad school with no real plan, but only did it so they didn't have to enter the real world. I know kids, it is scary at the end of four years and having to find a real job, but suck it up and do it.

2.) Generations are now being taught that education is more important than experience. Therefore, the logic is, if I just get an education, then all will be good. The problem is that you have college students getting to the end of the four years and expecting to be handed a job because they got the education.

So the question of whether it is worth it or not doesn't seem to be the real question I would ask. The question I would ask is do I have a plan on how the continued education is going to benefit my career in the field that I am in.

{"commentId":1021816,"threadId":"150122","contentId":"960479","authorDomain":"2timothy42"}

1 vote

#1 - Thu Sep 13, 2007 4:43 PM EDT

{"commentId":1021971,"authorDomain":"kurtstack"}

kurtstack

I couldn't agree more. College is really an investment in your future. As with any significant investment, you have to determine whether this will be worth it in the long run. For doctors, lawers, and other specific high paying careers it's probably worth it, however, for something as generic as an MBA is today, the investment may not pay the dividends that you would expect. Plus, these college kids come out of college expecting to be paid 6 figures because of the amount of money they had to put in for their educations. Their expectations seem to be well beyond reality for the most part. Experience and performance is what will earn them the dollars in the long run.

{"commentId":1021971,"threadId":"150122","contentId":"960479","authorDomain":"kurtstack"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:38 PM EDT

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Is College Worth the Cost? Part 2

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