A Forbes Magazine article entitled “25 Expensive Colleges Worth Every Penny” can easily catch your attention if you are looking for a good school at an affordable price.
However, most of these kinds of reports are tailored toward American students’ interests and concerns, and not international students’. This is because American students are much more likely than international students to have access to grants and student loans. This advantage alone can sometimes make college more affordable for them.
So, when someone says that an expensive school is “Worth Every Penny ”, understand that this statement may not necessarily apply to you. Attending a top school can be a costly and unnecessary investment for international students. This is especially true for those who are from low-wage countries (assuming they are not going to work in the U.S. after graduation).
We have collected the latest information on the cost of attendance, graduation rates, and the average salary for graduates from 25 of the most expensive schools in the USA. The first two sets of figures were obtained from CollegeScorecard.ed.gov. The last figure was obtained from schools’ websites.
Take a close look at the table below, and decide for yourself if these 25 schools are really worth every penny. (Note: The “Top College Rank” is from Forbes Magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges 2016.”
Top Colleges May Not Be Worth It
[supsystic-tables id=45]
I think my major and skill will determine how much my salary is. Going to a famous school does not mean you can be successful or you will get high salary.
I have two relatives and they have social science and liberal arts degrees from U.S. schools. After they came back to Taiwan, one found a job after job hunting for 4 months. Both do not have good starting salaries. I think choosing a major is quite a big decision before investing so much money in a degree from U.S. school. I will not make the same mistake as they did.
Most Chinese international students go back to China after they graduate from U.S. schools. 80% of them expect high salaries due to their costly investment in U.S. education. However, the reality makes them feel frustrated with the job market in China. Many Chinese with degrees from U.S. top schools even have to wait for one year to obtain jobs and to beg for pitiful salaries – less than $700 U.S. dollars per month. The situation is not any better in India – which is the second largest of origin of international students in the United States.
From your post, I can tell you do care about international students and think about their interest first.
Thank you for the kind words, Amaya. We are working hard for international students.