Given that the cost of a college education has tripled since I graduated from HS, student loan debt is above $1 trillion dollars (dwarfing consumer credit card debt), and barely 50% graduate from a four year college in less than 6 years, I question the value of many college educations.
I find the diversity of HB members to be valuable. Please read the following article and share your thoughts.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/04/net-us-usa-college-online-idUSBRE8330U320120404
The Pub
OK, I'll bite...
One of the things you are paying for when you write the $250K check to go to an Ivy, or Stanford, USC, Northwestern, Rice, Duke, or one of the NESCAC schools is membership in "the club", meaning, for example, you are now part of the Trojan family (USC). You now have access to successful and powerful alumni and your friends do, too. That network is a huge asset in finding and securing a top job and in advancing your career down the road. I'm not saying this phenonmenom doesn't exist to some extent at other schools, but one issue a new school faces is the lack of alumni in positions to help graduates and the lack of a track record of success by graduates. The lack of these things diminishes the value of the degree.
I have no doubt a student can learn at almost any school - so, IMO, the incremental cost of an elite school (vs. a public university) has to be judged against the future value of being in the club. From experience, I think it's worth it if you can get it - and today, most (all?) of those schools have financial aid policies geared to insuring anyone can afford it if they can get it in.
Finally, FWIW - I agree that many degrees conferred from many universities aren't worth much. There was an interesting paper recently that asserted that b/c the Feds are underwriting college educations through cheap loans, we now have too much of it (people going to college) and many would be better served with an alternate educational path more focused on learning marketable skills.
One of the things you are paying for when you write the $250K check to go to an Ivy, or Stanford, USC, Northwestern, Rice, Duke, or one of the NESCAC schools is membership in "the club", meaning, for example, you are now part of the Trojan family (USC). You now have access to successful and powerful alumni and your friends do, too. That network is a huge asset in finding and securing a top job and in advancing your career down the road. I'm not saying this phenonmenom doesn't exist to some extent at other schools, but one issue a new school faces is the lack of alumni in positions to help graduates and the lack of a track record of success by graduates. The lack of these things diminishes the value of the degree.
I have no doubt a student can learn at almost any school - so, IMO, the incremental cost of an elite school (vs. a public university) has to be judged against the future value of being in the club. From experience, I think it's worth it if you can get it - and today, most (all?) of those schools have financial aid policies geared to insuring anyone can afford it if they can get it in.
Finally, FWIW - I agree that many degrees conferred from many universities aren't worth much. There was an interesting paper recently that asserted that b/c the Feds are underwriting college educations through cheap loans, we now have too much of it (people going to college) and many would be better served with an alternate educational path more focused on learning marketable skills.
- hit4power
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- Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2008 7:09 am
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