Tag: college value


Not going to college costs $830,000

Posted on July 3rd, 2014

"This evidence tells us that the value of a college education rises over a worker's life." -- Mary C. Daly and Leila Bengali

We’ve stressed that a college degree is a good investment despite its high cost. Now, we know exactly how much it’s worth: an extra $830,000 in your pocket, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. College grads earn 61% more per year According to the study, college graduates earned on average about $20,050 (61%) more […]

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1/3 of high school graduates didn’t go to college last year

Posted on June 30th, 2014

With college tuition rising every year and student debt at an all-time high $1.2 trillion, it’s not surprising that students and families have begun to question whether college is actually worth the cost.

Most likely due to high costs, high school graduates are choosing to forgo college in favor of working. But at what cost?

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“Freakonomics” author talks higher education

Posted on June 24th, 2014

"The more knowledge you acquire, the better you will do. But it doesn’t mean the college track is right, especially when you’re overpaying." -- Stephen Dubner

Is a college degree worth the cost? Should everyone go to college? In the video below from CNN Money, “Freakomics” author and journalist Stephen Dubner answers these questions about higher education and offers his take on the rising cost of college. Dubner says that, overall, getting a college degree pays off over time. If, however, […]

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Young adults struggle to accumulate wealth due to student loans

Posted on May 21st, 2014

It’s well-documented that student debt has grown rapidly over the past decade. The class of 2014 graduated with an average $33,000 in student loans per student, and the numbers will likely be event greater for next year’s class.

Given that student loan debt is increasing while salaries are declining, it’s not surprising that many young adults are struggling to accumulate wealth.

According to a new report from the Pew Research Center, it’s become increasingly difficult for young adults with student debt to save up enough money to buy a house, get married or start building their ‘nest egg.’

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Elite colleges don’t buy happiness

Posted on May 9th, 2014

"Individual traits matter more than where you went. It's a lot more important what you learn later in life than where you got your undergraduate degree." -- Stacy Dale

We work with many students who think that if they can just get into an elite college, their future prospects and lives will be better. But according to a new survey, this isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, it’s even possible that attending an elite college could make your life worse–if you take on significant […]

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The best colleges for minority students

Posted on May 1st, 2014

Choosing the right college can be tough. With over 3500 colleges in the United States, finding that perfect match–let alone paying for it–is no easy task.

The folks at PayScale have put together an interesting interactive map that shows the top colleges for different ethnic groups, along with their graduation rates, locations and returns on investment after 20 years.

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College graduation rates of non-White students rising

Posted on April 30th, 2014

While many higher education advocates are worried because the national college graduation rate is a less-than-stellar 54%, there’s a silver lining: more college graduates are identifying as an ethnicity other than White.

According to The National Center for Education Statistics, in 2009-2010, over 27 percent of all bachelor’s degrees were awarded to students who identified as Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or American Indian/Alaska Native.

That’s up from the previous recorded year of 1999-2000, when 22.5 percent of bachelor’s degrees went to students who identified as an ethnicity other than White.

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Academic credit loss common for community college transfers

Posted on April 27th, 2014

Starting your bachelor’s degree at a community college can be a great way to save money and still graduate with the same degree as students who attend a 4-year college from the beginning.

But if you choose to go the community college route, you’d better be careful–a new report from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York found that more than 40% of community college graduates are unable to transfer their credits to a 4-year college.

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The most popular safety school in every state

Posted on April 9th, 2014

‘Safety schools,’ or colleges considered back-ups to students’ top choices, get a bad rap.

But as many students have found, attending a college that isn’t your first choice can be a great way to save money and avoid student loan debt.

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Don’t get your Ph.Debt

Posted on April 3rd, 2014

And you thought undergraduate student loan debt was bad.

According to a new report by the New America Foundation, the median debt load for borrowers leaving school with a master’s, medical, law or doctoral degree was $57,600 in 2012–about twice the average amount today’s typical undergrad leaves college with.

This represents a 43% increase from 2004 to 2012 when adjusted for inflation.

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