How do you know if a graduate degree is worth the cost? I’m one of four experts who take a shot at answering this question at the New York Times’ Room for Debate blog.
My take:
In some fields, such as business or engineering, a graduate degree typically boosted income by more than enough to justify the cost. In others — the liberal arts and social sciences, in particular — master’s degrees didn’t appear to produce much if any earnings advantage.
If you have to borrow to pay for extra schooling–as the majority of graduate students do–you should research your likely earnings your first year out of school and use that as your guide for how much to borrow.
For more, read:
- What is a master’s degree worth (link to NYT.com)
- How much college debt is too much?
- 4 fixes for the student loan trap
- How did student loans get so sleazy?
