Is college worth the money?

The value of college shold be based on the degree that a person gets. If you get an Engineering degree starting in $60-80,000 it seems like a good value.

If it is a POlitical Scinece degree without getting and advanced degree sucj a PhD or LLD then I doubt there is value.

The worth of the college degree should be based on the value returned for the cost not just the cost.

Before and during college I would have said it is worth every penny for the awaiting degree, experience and knowledge I was consuming. Now, I have sixty thousand dollars in student loans half of which is my responsibility but due to the tough economy, no job to pay them because of a lack of experience. I feel very screwed. I have been looking for a full time job, whether pertinent to my degree or not, since spring of 08.

Is college worth the money? That depends on many factors. Is the student qualified, does he/she want to go, will he/she go to junior college or a four year public or private college, can the family afford it, can the student save up money and work while going to college, are grants availble, is your preferred major available nearby, etc.? I have followed these basics ideas for my kids 1. Start saving for college early - $15 a week in an investment that pays 12% a year will add up to $50K from 0 to 18 years. $25 a week will result in $80K in 18 years. If you have not started, starting soon is a good idea. Or a $10,000 invested when the child is born will increase to $85K at age 18. 2. Choose public over private - unless you are very wealthy. Most average college graduate today will earn $30K to $50K a year. Yes, some are paid more, some less, but you don't borrow $60K in student loans to earn $30K a year. So by choosing respected public school, one can receive a pretty decent salary. I, as a hiring manager, care mainly about a cadidates skills and experiences, when I hire him, and I do not really care about his pedigree. 3. I make clear to my kids what their expectations are. I furnish their tuition, room, and board, but everything else is their responsibility. I have matched 50% of their car purchase, but they must supply fuel, maintenance, and repair. No student loan, no car loan, no credit card, and no getting married while they are in school. They can only use debit card or cash. My kids have and will graduate their respective colleges with zero student loan, and no consumer debts. If they want to pursue additional studies, they are on their own. I tell them to look for a company that pays tuition for evening classes, so they cannot go buy a new BMW because they know better than to borrow for things they cannot afford with money they don't have, to impress people they won't see in few months.

This is the first time I can remember Americans broadly wondering if a college degree is worth the money.

People have questioned college choices (I got the "What can you do with an English degree" parental talk, which led me to a BA in economics) and lamented the skyrocketing expense. But I can't recall a time when the public started to say, essentially, the opportunities college creates aren't worth the cost.

My parents, who did not go to college, saw sending me as a way to ensure my life would be better than theirs. There was no question in their mind that college would accomplish that. For them it was a matter of how much we (they) needed to sacrifice.

I still view college the same way my parents did. Will I be willing to say to my kids in 5 years or 10 years, "Don't worry about college. It's not worth it"?

My parents gave us no option but to do well in school and graduate college.  Life without a degree was unthinkable.  I am offfering my kids all of the educational opportunities that my parents gave me and my siglings.  That is not to say that I will send my kids to expensive private schools with student loans up to their eyeballs.  I mean a  good public university where the kids need to work part-time and do well in school.

They all bought into the old "Graduate" movie line, "Plastics", so not even the media has gotten past the one word advice, college.

WHen in reality is has alwyas been what do you want to prepare yourself for. Choose the degree, choose the school, and make the sacrifices. Go to Havard or Yale for a BA in political scienice versus going to a in state univeristy for an engineering degree, who made the better financial choice.

College is no guarantee for a job, but without additional education after high school and through a career the opporunity for financial success drops off significantly.

SO whether people think of only college or not, they dilude themsleves if additional education isnt required.

Can you put a price on education and knowledge?  Or the life skills and development you'll get from going to college-I don't think so.  Yes, college is going to cost a lot, and provided I get loan forgiveness, I'll still have a lot to pay, but it's no different than paying off a car payment and it's about managing your money (in part).

I still have two years to get my double major and minor in history and so far it's been more than worth what I've paid.  All that I've learned inside and outside the classroom is priceless to me.  And, though the job market is bad, I'm going to be a teacher, so the pays ok, but its about what I'm doing that's important.

That depends mostly on the student, doesn't it.  If the student uses College to attain what they wanted from college, then presumably, it was worth the money to them.  If the student looks on college as four years of camp and vacation (see "Animal House") then it might not be worth it.

But I have the impression that you are posing the question purly in terms of whether four years of college courses increases one's probable earnings by more than the amount of the money invested (and interest) and the four years of earnings foregone.

In that narrow sense, only those who select high profit majors and who have the mental skills and personality to take advantage of them for profit will find college worth the money.  But college has many more functions than getting one a high  paying job.  For one thing it's a great place to find an appropriate spouse.  For another, it's a relatively sheltered place to finish growing up.  College provides opportunities to make contacts that can be useful in later life.  So what are these various functions of college worth to the person paying for college?  Depends on the individual.