What's Your College Degree Worth?
- Thread starter cyclonenum1
- Start date
I never really saw the point in charts like this. They like to go by the average salary of graduates, which is always greatly skewed due to select individuals making a ton more than the rest. I would be more interested to see what the average person made that graduated from each school.
Wow, ISU has a higher rate of return than Iowa (11.6% vs 10.9%)? I figured that all of the Law and Medical students would sway that their way.
During our freshman orientation for engineering they told us that only 1/3 of the students that start would graduate as engineers.
That's probably a bad example though. A lot of freshman that start as engineer that don't graduate just change majors to a different major and graduate anyway.
I'd say the bigger reason is probably the kids that come to ISU and have no business being in college or can't adapt to the college life and drop/fail out.
The graduation rate doesn't surprise me. I remember hanging out with people my first semester at ISU that never made it to the 2nd semester. Either they failed out, dropped out, family issues etc. etc...
its hard to believe that ISU has one of the lowest costs to graduate at about 82000 bucks, but we have one of the highest student debts after we graduate at about 31000 or 32000
Until you look at median or average household income compared to other college states.
Clonehomer, the study only took into account those finishing with their bachelor's degrees and not receiving advanced degrees so it will more than likely cut off a significant portion of the top earning individuals (doctors, vets, lawyers, professors, etc.)
I think by not accounting for this group, or at least not having a second statistic that accounts for advanced degree holders, the numbers will be skewed towards colleges that churn out engineers and financiers/brokers since they don't have to get an advanced degree to have high salaries.
It would be interesting if they included people receiving their graduate/professional degree as well.
I think by not accounting for this group, or at least not having a second statistic that accounts for advanced degree holders, the numbers will be skewed towards colleges that churn out engineers and financiers/brokers since they don't have to get an advanced degree to have high salaries.
It would be interesting if they included people receiving their graduate/professional degree as well.
This link really helped explain the R.O.I numbers.
What's Your College Degree Worth?: Top Schools by State - BusinessWeek
ISU's lower graduation rates hurts relative to some of the other schools who graduate more.
Interesting stuff. Over a 30 year period, you'll earn in the neighborhood of $1,000,000 more than the average High School graduate.
I can see that in my family. I have a cousin who got a two year degree from Kirkwood, while I went on got a 4 year degree. Granted I've been more open to moving than him, but I probably pull in double to triple what he's making and we're both working in the same field.
What's Your College Degree Worth?: Top Schools by State - BusinessWeek
ISU's lower graduation rates hurts relative to some of the other schools who graduate more.
Interesting stuff. Over a 30 year period, you'll earn in the neighborhood of $1,000,000 more than the average High School graduate.
I can see that in my family. I have a cousin who got a two year degree from Kirkwood, while I went on got a 4 year degree. Granted I've been more open to moving than him, but I probably pull in double to triple what he's making and we're both working in the same field.
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I'm actually really surprised it is that high. I got my undergrad in 2007 and I'd say at least a third of the people in my dorm freshman year didn't make it to sophomore year.
I don't know what it is now, but when I was in the Architecture program, they would only admit around 100 every year, and usually there were several hundred Pre-Arch students.
I also wonder if transfers count against graduation rates.
looks like a low cost university that could show 20% return for its grads would be a big easy sell. Looks like they are all about the same. Seems the pendulum is changing to think how worth it is a degree. those kids are having a hard time finding great jobs.
I wonder how they figured small business owners or, in ISU's case, farmers? If they used gross income, then many farmers would blow lawyers and doctors out of the water.