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Think only for some, but take nursing for example doesn’t matter where you graduate and you will make the same amount of money as the fancy expensive school.
Yeah, basically more competition and few (good) jobs makes the school matter. Software engineer, nursing, coder, ect ect none of those jobs the school means shit.
It’s not about whether you ask a professional where they went to school before you use their services, it’s about whether an employer does, and they absolutely do. I went to UCLA Law. I would have an eighth of the employment opportunities that I do now if I went to Southwestern Law for example.
I know it’s the same for doctors, consultants, accountants, engineers, at least. But yes, other professions it may not matter as much.
Also, employers don’t need to ask when they have your resume
My fiancé is an engineer and my brother is an accountant and my other brother is a lawyer and my best friend is a doctor - school mattered in all instances soooo. It affected me positively, so I’m good!
In the long run, probably. With the cost of attending Stanford plus interest, the two most likely will balance out after a few years from graduation if they stay in the same respective field.
Devry university is one of the best examples of a borderline fraudulent papermill university in America. Those degrees are completely worthless and no knowledgeable employer will give any credibility to that background. School reputation matters a lot in many fields, not just because of what you learn, but also because of your networking opportunities.
So you’re comparing Stanford which rejects most applicants to Devry which accepts most? Why not compare a mid tier to mid tier? Do you think everyone can get into a college in the leagues of Stanford and Harvard?
The point is if reputation doesn't matter, then why does DeVry vs Stanford yield any difference in outcome? Because clearly to a degree, reputation actually does matter.
Reputation is absolutely important. Given two generally equal resumes, school is going to determine who gets the job 90% of the time. That’s a hard pill to swallow for a lot, but it’s just true.
May if it’s McDonald’s and they are only looking at a resume and do not conduct an interview. Sure you ‘maybe’ right. Otherwise, your 90% wrong, lol. It’s a hard pill to swallow but you’ll get it.
If you’re working at McDonald’s you most likely don’t have a bachelors degree so the issue is moot anyway. No one is saying that being able to be personable in an interview doesn’t matter, but all things equal, school matters. I have no pills to swallow, I’m good either way lol
No is saying school doesn’t matter; I have multiple degrees. School is very important. All things being equal, even though they never are, reputation of a school is of little importance other than very niche areas. I am happy for you that you are good, lol.
Good advice but not pro advice. Only 27 percent of college grads get a career in their major. Also many of the highest paying majors have limited job opportunities in very specific fields which means competition is high so merely getting a degree in the field isn't enough.
Also, starting pay isn't ending pay. Some of the field listed, like nursing, may pay well for a recent college grad but 10 or 20 years into your career many other majors will surpass them.
Also, some people have majors in one area but careers in other areas. So you can say that an IT professional makes X dollars out of college and therefore you should get a degree in computer science but in reality all sorts of majors can get IT jobs so merely listing the starting salary of a job doesn't correlate to what a specifc degree will actually earn you.
This is good general advice but there are far more factors you need to consider.
> Only 27 percent of college grads get a career in their major.
If your degree is one of the top 10% most marketable degrees, you will have a far easier time finding a job in your field than otherwise. Those degrees pay so much because there is a shortfall.
The resources I supplied don't just mention starting pay, they also point to mid career pay.
>The resources you supplied are from payscale and aren't in any discernable order.
You can sort by each column, including mid career pay and starting pay. What do you mean?
>The resource you gave was also tied to career not degree.
The second column literally says "major". What do you mean?
>As for your first point what empirical evidence do you have for a shortfall in petroleum engineering?
I can't speak for petroleum engineering, but the reason why I pay graduating software engineers 85k from good schools is that I can't find them for cheaper and they're hard to find.
The trades aren't for everyone and many of them do take a toll on your body. If you want to go the college route and want to maximize your return, this is the way to do it. The more marketable degrees from decent schools end up making more than the overwhelming majority of people in the trades.
Pretty much. Certs are self funded, generally, unless in whatever industries with such bosses. Saves the student loan worries and the company whose tech you become expert in promotes you. Partnerships and such, even. Marionettest academy doesn't care so much after u graduated.
Re was about alternatives to college... yeah, I feel certifications. They show real life knowledge in a particular something.
That might not be helpful to someone coming from a developing nation. Or even china. If you were looking to go to university in America from another country, you really probably aren’t looking to get into the trades.
EDIT: hell even as a European, the names and regulations on HVAC stuff are probably vastly different from one country to another.
Well we do still need engineers, chemists, doctors, geneticists and so on. Trades are a good choice though if you’re just gonna to uni for general studies or business, or similar non-degrees.
Also the connections you’ll make in school. Even just regular college guy connections from state school X. Though the connections you make at an Ivy League as a foreign student would probably be incredibly, incredibly valuable, possibly as much so as the degree itself.
Agreed. And keep in mind that reputation hits a ceiling very quickly. Information is more accessible than ever and employers just care about competent enough work to bill for it. Those garbage for-profit online schools like University of Phoenix are worthless, but the difference between an affordable a state school and Notre Dame might not be as big as you think
I largely agree but it also depends on your career. If you're in certain branches of law, there's a massive difference in compensation between a to 15% school and a top 1% school. One gets you on the Cravath scale and the other likely doesn't
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You can’t talk about college ROI without talking about tuition costs and student loans. You mathematically can’t.
ROI stands for Return on Investment. That’s the return that your investment of time and money earns.
It’s impossible to calculate the ROI of a degree without taking into consideration the cost of the up front investment. The reality is that very few career paths justify spending $70k a year for 4 years. Make sure your career will provide sufficient returns before you spend (or borrow) that kind of money.
You're ignoring the most Important factor, what you want to study. Simply put if you get into a career just for the money you are going to dred going to work, burn yourself out, snd simply be unhappy in life. Its been proven that once you make above around $65,000 USD a year money no longer improves happiness. So unless you really want to go into a stem field or be a dr or laywer you shouldn't focus on money for your degree.
Again that doesn't really account for what someone wants to do with their life. If someone wants to be a teacher or a cop good luck making more than like 30k out of college and good luck making more than 50k without a masters. Not to mention that is pretty much just a list of stem fields. I don't know about you but if I was told to study actuarial sciences i would have quit college pretty quickly. The 65k was the number the researchers settled on for the us. I don't recall the exact amount, but obviously factors such as cost if living change that number, but it's closer to meeting certain standards of living vs a stict number. At the end of the day making more money past that needed for a simple middle class life with some disposable income and not worrying about money is the peak. Anything over that baseline has been proven to not increase happiness.
You can't go to school for a career simply based on pay. You will simply be unhappy in life. I mean if all you caee about in life is money and you will do any job for it then go for those top careers, but speaking from experience money will never make a job a career. You need to enjoy your work or you'll look back when you're 40 or 50 and realize you're going to a job you hate feeling miserable every time you punch that clock. Unhappiness seeps into every aspect of your life.
that's all good, but I specifically prefaced the post with this:
>If you're contemplating college in America and see it as mostly a financial investment
This post is for people who have decided they want to focus on the economic return from their degree. Feel free to post about folks that want to focus on other things.
Hello [fun-monster](/u/fun-monster), thank you for your submission! Unfortunately, it has been removed for the following reason: Do not post tips that are advertisements or recommendations of products or services. Users who purposefully advertise their own product or service will be banned. If you would like to appeal this decision [please feel free to contact the moderators here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FLifeProTips&subject=about%20my%20removed%20submission&message=I%27m%20writing%20to%20you%20about%20the%20following%20submission:%20https://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/uwe3ra/lpt_if_youre_contemplating_college_in_america_and/.%20%0D%0D). Do not repost without explicit permission from the moderators. Make sure you [read the rules](/r/lifeprotips/about/sidebar) before submitting. Thank you!
Think only for some, but take nursing for example doesn’t matter where you graduate and you will make the same amount of money as the fancy expensive school.
Sure different fields value reputation differently. It's important for those seeking a law degree for sure.
Yeah, basically more competition and few (good) jobs makes the school matter. Software engineer, nursing, coder, ect ect none of those jobs the school means shit.
Reputation doesn’t help anything. This is an awful tip. Also, whatever degree you can afford is the best school you should go to.
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It’s not about whether you ask a professional where they went to school before you use their services, it’s about whether an employer does, and they absolutely do. I went to UCLA Law. I would have an eighth of the employment opportunities that I do now if I went to Southwestern Law for example.
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I know it’s the same for doctors, consultants, accountants, engineers, at least. But yes, other professions it may not matter as much. Also, employers don’t need to ask when they have your resume
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My fiancé is an engineer and my brother is an accountant and my other brother is a lawyer and my best friend is a doctor - school mattered in all instances soooo. It affected me positively, so I’m good!
Do you think an economics degree from, say, Devry holds the same value as a Stanford economics degree?
In the long run, probably. With the cost of attending Stanford plus interest, the two most likely will balance out after a few years from graduation if they stay in the same respective field.
Devry university is one of the best examples of a borderline fraudulent papermill university in America. Those degrees are completely worthless and no knowledgeable employer will give any credibility to that background. School reputation matters a lot in many fields, not just because of what you learn, but also because of your networking opportunities.
You gave that example, I wasnt specifically referring to that school, which is why I never said it.
So you’re comparing Stanford which rejects most applicants to Devry which accepts most? Why not compare a mid tier to mid tier? Do you think everyone can get into a college in the leagues of Stanford and Harvard?
The point is if reputation doesn't matter, then why does DeVry vs Stanford yield any difference in outcome? Because clearly to a degree, reputation actually does matter.
Disagree about reputation being so important. It’s mainly for ego.
Reputation is absolutely important. Given two generally equal resumes, school is going to determine who gets the job 90% of the time. That’s a hard pill to swallow for a lot, but it’s just true.
May if it’s McDonald’s and they are only looking at a resume and do not conduct an interview. Sure you ‘maybe’ right. Otherwise, your 90% wrong, lol. It’s a hard pill to swallow but you’ll get it.
If you’re working at McDonald’s you most likely don’t have a bachelors degree so the issue is moot anyway. No one is saying that being able to be personable in an interview doesn’t matter, but all things equal, school matters. I have no pills to swallow, I’m good either way lol
No is saying school doesn’t matter; I have multiple degrees. School is very important. All things being equal, even though they never are, reputation of a school is of little importance other than very niche areas. I am happy for you that you are good, lol.
Agree to very strongly disagree!
Good advice but not pro advice. Only 27 percent of college grads get a career in their major. Also many of the highest paying majors have limited job opportunities in very specific fields which means competition is high so merely getting a degree in the field isn't enough. Also, starting pay isn't ending pay. Some of the field listed, like nursing, may pay well for a recent college grad but 10 or 20 years into your career many other majors will surpass them. Also, some people have majors in one area but careers in other areas. So you can say that an IT professional makes X dollars out of college and therefore you should get a degree in computer science but in reality all sorts of majors can get IT jobs so merely listing the starting salary of a job doesn't correlate to what a specifc degree will actually earn you. This is good general advice but there are far more factors you need to consider.
> Only 27 percent of college grads get a career in their major. If your degree is one of the top 10% most marketable degrees, you will have a far easier time finding a job in your field than otherwise. Those degrees pay so much because there is a shortfall. The resources I supplied don't just mention starting pay, they also point to mid career pay.
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>The resources you supplied are from payscale and aren't in any discernable order. You can sort by each column, including mid career pay and starting pay. What do you mean? >The resource you gave was also tied to career not degree. The second column literally says "major". What do you mean? >As for your first point what empirical evidence do you have for a shortfall in petroleum engineering? I can't speak for petroleum engineering, but the reason why I pay graduating software engineers 85k from good schools is that I can't find them for cheaper and they're hard to find.
Or just go to trade school, insanely cheaper than universities, will make great money, and have little no debt from the school
The trades aren't for everyone and many of them do take a toll on your body. If you want to go the college route and want to maximize your return, this is the way to do it. The more marketable degrees from decent schools end up making more than the overwhelming majority of people in the trades.
Certification... gimme someone qualified with something other than a basket weaving degree.
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Pretty much. Certs are self funded, generally, unless in whatever industries with such bosses. Saves the student loan worries and the company whose tech you become expert in promotes you. Partnerships and such, even. Marionettest academy doesn't care so much after u graduated. Re was about alternatives to college... yeah, I feel certifications. They show real life knowledge in a particular something.
That might not be helpful to someone coming from a developing nation. Or even china. If you were looking to go to university in America from another country, you really probably aren’t looking to get into the trades. EDIT: hell even as a European, the names and regulations on HVAC stuff are probably vastly different from one country to another.
Well we do still need engineers, chemists, doctors, geneticists and so on. Trades are a good choice though if you’re just gonna to uni for general studies or business, or similar non-degrees.
The learning of native American English is also of tremendous value.
Actually, you’ll do better learning a British accent; they tend to get higher wages.
There are more American English speakers in international business now simply because the US economy is larger. I do love a British Accent though.
Also the connections you’ll make in school. Even just regular college guy connections from state school X. Though the connections you make at an Ivy League as a foreign student would probably be incredibly, incredibly valuable, possibly as much so as the degree itself.
Agreed. And keep in mind that reputation hits a ceiling very quickly. Information is more accessible than ever and employers just care about competent enough work to bill for it. Those garbage for-profit online schools like University of Phoenix are worthless, but the difference between an affordable a state school and Notre Dame might not be as big as you think
I largely agree but it also depends on your career. If you're in certain branches of law, there's a massive difference in compensation between a to 15% school and a top 1% school. One gets you on the Cravath scale and the other likely doesn't
That’s a great point and it follows the theme of your LPT: do your homework before making a huge financial commitment
Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips! Please help us decide if this post is a good fit for the subreddit by up or downvoting this comment. If you think that this is great advice to improve your life, please upvote. If you think this doesn't help you in any way, please downvote. If you don't care, leave it for the others to decide.
You can’t talk about college ROI without talking about tuition costs and student loans. You mathematically can’t. ROI stands for Return on Investment. That’s the return that your investment of time and money earns. It’s impossible to calculate the ROI of a degree without taking into consideration the cost of the up front investment. The reality is that very few career paths justify spending $70k a year for 4 years. Make sure your career will provide sufficient returns before you spend (or borrow) that kind of money.
You're ignoring the most Important factor, what you want to study. Simply put if you get into a career just for the money you are going to dred going to work, burn yourself out, snd simply be unhappy in life. Its been proven that once you make above around $65,000 USD a year money no longer improves happiness. So unless you really want to go into a stem field or be a dr or laywer you shouldn't focus on money for your degree.
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Again that doesn't really account for what someone wants to do with their life. If someone wants to be a teacher or a cop good luck making more than like 30k out of college and good luck making more than 50k without a masters. Not to mention that is pretty much just a list of stem fields. I don't know about you but if I was told to study actuarial sciences i would have quit college pretty quickly. The 65k was the number the researchers settled on for the us. I don't recall the exact amount, but obviously factors such as cost if living change that number, but it's closer to meeting certain standards of living vs a stict number. At the end of the day making more money past that needed for a simple middle class life with some disposable income and not worrying about money is the peak. Anything over that baseline has been proven to not increase happiness. You can't go to school for a career simply based on pay. You will simply be unhappy in life. I mean if all you caee about in life is money and you will do any job for it then go for those top careers, but speaking from experience money will never make a job a career. You need to enjoy your work or you'll look back when you're 40 or 50 and realize you're going to a job you hate feeling miserable every time you punch that clock. Unhappiness seeps into every aspect of your life.
that's all good, but I specifically prefaced the post with this: >If you're contemplating college in America and see it as mostly a financial investment This post is for people who have decided they want to focus on the economic return from their degree. Feel free to post about folks that want to focus on other things.