25 years old and deep in debt

[MadImmortalMan]

Neat tool

http://www.collegeriskreport.com

[garbon]

Neat tool

http://www.collegeriskreport.com

I'm going to say sure because it makes fancy graphs but otherwise not really. It told me that both only a high school diploma or associates degree (on average) would be better for me than going to Stanford...which apparently including an assumption that as a Psych major my starting income would be a median of 35k and a net increase of 2.5% each year across my lifetime.  So no.

[MadImmortalMan]

According to the graph it gave me after putting in my school and degree, it takes seven years for me to break even with an associates over just high school. It takes 14 years to break even with a bachelor's over just high school. It takes 7 years until a bachelor's degree goes from a net negative to a net positive (the associates is flat). And a whopping 23 years of working before having a bachelor's becomes more valuable than having only an associate's.

[MadImmortalMan]

I bet the averages are pretty skewed and not really relevant if you went to an elite school, garbo. Much better for us plebs who went to state school. 

[MadImmortalMan]

I put in my wife's info and it gave me 27 years to break even over high school with the bachelor's and it never at any point was worth it to have a bachelor's over an associates. 

Her major was psychology.

[garbon]

I bet the averages are pretty skewed and not really relevant if you went to an elite school, garbo. Much better for us plebs who went to state school. 

I did see that it told me in 0.2 years I'd break even with an associates.

Also, I'm skeptical of that 2.5% increase. Is that making assumptions that you'll only be at the same company for long stretches with no promotions?

[MadImmortalMan]

I think it's just the inflation rate. I got promoted way faster than that too.

[garbon]

Oh and it told me that only around 50 years would I be put near on part with what I would have had in lifetime earnings if I just went to high school.

[garbon]

I bet the averages are pretty skewed and not really relevant if you went to an elite school, garbo. Much better for us plebs who went to state school. 

Actually thinking about it more - if they are going to take into account everything about a school's costs - then I don't think it is right to (which I'm assuming) just use the median figure for people of a major across all schools.

Just tried UCLA which was where I'd planned on going and got the same story. You are never likely at UCLA to top high school let alone an associates if you study psychology!

[Ideologue]

Stanford Alumni bit let us know this (and said that this makes 4 out of the last 5 years).

http://www.princetonreview.com/college-hopes-worries.aspx

What "dream" college do you wish you (your child) could attend if acceptance and/or cost were not issues? (fill in the blank)

Students	Parents
1 Stanford University	Stanford University
2 Harvard College	Harvard College
3 Columbia University	Princeton University
4 New York University	University of Notre Dame
5 Princeton University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

And this is what I come home to?

[garbon]

A list of dream schools?

[Ideologue]

A list of dream schools?

You know what you did.

[Ed Anger]

Ide wanted to go to the Frunze Academy.

[Ideologue]

Ide wanted to go to the Frunze Academy.

I could've learned how to drive a tank over kulaks.

[mongers]

She looks like a foot.

BOC - She's as Beautiful as a Foot.

Excellent reference, now please work in one to a zombie Joan Crawford.