Is College Worth It Nowadays?

[Bangkoktraveler]

Local State College in University just announced the College is jacking up their tuition by 31% for next year!

 

 

I still believe education should be free in the non-private schools all the way to the Doctorate level. To me this is Capitalism at its finest - every penny spent on education will be returned many fold in taxes - the best investment any nation could invest in!

[shygye]

Yep, I know an Army vet. Learned nuclear demolitions. So what job can he get with those skills. :happyeaster:

[cavanami]

Yep, I know an Army vet. Learned nuclear demolitions. So what job can he get with those skills. :happyeaster:

Maybe use the nke safety he learned at a power facility?

[Flashermac]

Might get a good job in Iran right now.

 

 

[Old Hippie]

Yep' date=' I know an Army vet. Learned nuclear demolitions. So what job can he get with those skills. :happyeaster: [/quote']

Maybe use the nke safety he learned at a power facility?

 

 

Trouble is, a degree is still required for many positions. Simply put you will not many jobs with out 1.

[dave32]

Yep. A 4 year degree is an extension of high school for most kids and something done so they can get a job. Getting your ticket punched. It's been cheapened in value (and meaning) while gone up in price.

 

I actually smile now when I see people choose NOT to go to school. Not kidding.

 

Also, not enough cultural value is placed on 'the trades.' In Southern Cal you see immigrants filling most of those roles because everyone else wants to be white collar.

 

In my current position there are about 80 people with the same job/title (very large organization). Of those, 6 of us don't have MBAs. I've been pressured to get mine to maintain 'career momentum.'

 

Shoot me first. (Nothing against any in present company, just not what I want).

[USVirgin]

About 20 years ago, I met with a senior person at a US airline. She introduced me to her "MBA's", young recruits who tagged along with her all day. She considered them an annoyance. I'm sure the company had bigger and better plans for them, but the educated didn't belong in her department, airline pricing, a job where experience helps but nobody understands to this day.

[Flashermac]

The people I know who are making the most money either never got a degree, or are working in a field they never studied (e.g. IT).

 

My dad was an aerospace engineer, studied on the WWII GI Bill. He started in "upper air research" in the early 1950s, when the engineers designed, built and installed the telemetry systems. No one had more than a bachelors degree. Later, all of the "old timers" got pushed out of top positions by the young folks with PhDs. The Phuds may have known their academics, but they had no practical experience whatsoever. Still, they were the bosses. Unfortunately, he retired just before salaries skyrocketed. He'd have been making 3 times the money, if he had retired a few years later.

 

 

[Wallenda]

The people I know who are making the most money either never got a degree, or are working in a field they never studied (e.g. IT).

No reason to doubt that, but I think we'd agree that overall, as a general trend, people with degrees easily out-earn those without degrees. Not every single one, no, but on average, very much yes.

 

About online degrees, U. of Phoenix and others like it (Walden, etc.) are mostly charging around $12,000 per year in tuition. Typical tuition for a real, non-online private university these days is probably around $20,000. But state universities (eg University of California, California state universities like SFSU, Rutgers in New Jersey, City College in NY, etc etc) are typically around $5000-8000 a year.

 

Anyway, to me, it's not just about the paper you get, there are also the connections you make. Also the people skills you pick up.

 

I do think American higher education costs are way out of control now though.

[Old Hippie]

Working while going to school seems to be the best option.

 

 

Probably true, especially if you are working in a field related to your study. The problems come when you are forced to choose between the 2, which often happens.