Is U Michigan OOS worth $400K?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is full pay at a T10 University and half through 2nd year. I am leaning to it not being worth it. The classes she's had are all huge lectures (all STEM). The professors have been mediocre. The advantages are (1) prestige, and, (2) being surrounded by extremely talented kids that, I guess, "drive" her. But I'm not so sure. I think the cost--whether $350 or $400 (it's on the high end of that range) is just too high in 2025. I probably would have given a different answer ten years ago. The reality is that she could have gone to a great school for 1/3 of the $$$ and that capital could have been redeployed elsewhere.

It is really only prestige that you are paying for. There are talented kids at lots of schools these days.

My kid's high school has top scholars every year. Usually there is 2-3 of them. And just about every year one of them goes to Pitt (we are from the burbs of Pittsburgh) and the others go to Ivy league schools. The Pitt kids are getting full rides and/or in the guaranteed placement program for Med School.

We had a kid live with us for a year. My son said he was the smartest kid in the school. Wasn't close. He went back home and finished high school. Ended up at Notre Dame. Lots of smart kids at a lot of schools.

[Anonymous]

He graduated from UMich with a degree in physics, jobless, and is now a full-time youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83ZJ18u6kg

That's what 360K education from UMich get you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He graduated from UMich with a degree in physics, jobless, and is now a full-time youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83ZJ18u6kg

That's what 360K education from UMich get you.

I'm gonna place that more on the student/degree and less on the school....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He graduated from UMich with a degree in physics, jobless, and is now a full-time youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83ZJ18u6kg

That's what 360K education from UMich get you.

I'm gonna place that more on the student/degree and less on the school....

Of course you would. Keep justifying. This poster is providing practical personal experience which is valuable. You...not so much. They didn't ask you to agree with something they experienced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He graduated from UMich with a degree in physics, jobless, and is now a full-time youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83ZJ18u6kg

That's what 360K education from UMich get you.

I'm gonna place that more on the student/degree and less on the school....

Of course you would. Keep justifying. This poster is providing practical personal experience which is valuable. You...not so much. They didn't ask you to agree with something they experienced.

You know nothing about the graduate either. Your advice is also worthless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He graduated from UMich with a degree in physics, jobless, and is now a full-time youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83ZJ18u6kg

That's what 360K education from UMich get you.

I'm gonna place that more on the student/degree and less on the school....

Of course you would. Keep justifying. This poster is providing practical personal experience which is valuable. You...not so much. They didn't ask you to agree with something they experienced.

You know nothing about the graduate either. Your advice is also worthless.

The difference is I didn't act like I did or make any suggestion to the contrary.. Your post "I'm gonna place that more on the student/degree and less on the school" You really have an interesting perspective on things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He graduated from UMich with a degree in physics, jobless, and is now a full-time youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83ZJ18u6kg

That's what 360K education from UMich get you.

LOL. That's his shtick. He's got paying followers and has 75K total. I have a 2025 grad making great money and know dozens from the class also doing just fine (in a very, very tough market).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is any college education worth $400k?

Note: I can report that the tuition is just a part of it. We are spending a small fortune on off-campus housing, food, (ahem) entertainment, etc. in a supposedly affordable area…it’s obscene.

I wonder if the money would have been better spent on investments to supplement my kid’s future earnings following a less expensive college path (eg, community college followed by in-state flagship).

Currently Michigan costs about 346K for 4 years. Not 400K

FACT

I am currently spending $1,100/month on off campus housing—plus utilities—and the lease is for 12 months. FACT

Food, gas, and entertainment (think: restaurants, bars, clubs, sporting events, concerts, and random travel) add up. FACT

Travel to/from home when students are apt to travel is pricey. FACT

It all costs a small fortune times 4 years, and it’s all on top of the tuition. FACT

Plus, as the schools continue to plug holes left by the administration’s cuts to research, tuition will undoubtedly jump.

Housing and incidentals are an included cost in the $360k. Flights aren’t that expensive and my kid drove junior and senior year and paid for $100 in gas. Please refer to the UM website for OOS that a pp posted.

Do you have kids away at college, and are they living off campus?

The estimated costs provided by the school for off campus living expenses are lower than what you will end up paying. I have two kids away at college and the rentals are ridiculously overpriced, utilities aren’t included, nobody ever gets the deposit back, and food/beer/whatever is pricey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He graduated from UMich with a degree in physics, jobless, and is now a full-time youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83ZJ18u6kg

That's what 360K education from UMich get you.

I'm gonna place that more on the student/degree and less on the school....

Of course you would. Keep justifying. This poster is providing practical personal experience which is valuable. You...not so much. They didn't ask you to agree with something they experienced.

You know nothing about the graduate either. Your advice is also worthless.

The difference is I didn't act like I did or make any suggestion to the contrary.. Your post "I'm gonna place that more on the student/degree and less on the school" You really have an interesting perspective on things.

It wasn’t my post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These threads on silly. Such a value proposition will be different for every family and kid depending on circumstances/interests etc. There is no universal answer.

This feels like internet trolling at peak time suck. Who cares that some anonymous poster emphatically disagrees with my family’s decisions?

I do wish the board would get back to helpful information sharing.

It is trolling. The OP makes it sound like Michigan is an outlier among elite schools in terms of expense.

For anyone unaware, it's not. Several are nearing this much now, including non-elite schools. Michigan is not an Ivy, though; maybe this is what OP meant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is full pay at a T10 University and half through 2nd year. I am leaning to it not being worth it. The classes she's had are all huge lectures (all STEM). The professors have been mediocre. The advantages are (1) prestige, and, (2) being surrounded by extremely talented kids that, I guess, "drive" her. But I'm not so sure. I think the cost--whether $350 or $400 (it's on the high end of that range) is just too high in 2025. I probably would have given a different answer ten years ago. The reality is that she could have gone to a great school for 1/3 of the $$$ and that capital could have been redeployed elsewhere.

Hmmm.
Mine is at a t10 (NU) non stem major. No class larger than 20 so far and already close to a professor.
Will have 1 large intro class next quarter.
Fabulous academic experience.
The food does suck though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is full pay at a T10 University and half through 2nd year. I am leaning to it not being worth it. The classes she's had are all huge lectures (all STEM). The professors have been mediocre. The advantages are (1) prestige, and, (2) being surrounded by extremely talented kids that, I guess, "drive" her. But I'm not so sure. I think the cost--whether $350 or $400 (it's on the high end of that range) is just too high in 2025. I probably would have given a different answer ten years ago. The reality is that she could have gone to a great school for 1/3 of the $$$ and that capital could have been redeployed elsewhere.

Hmmm.
Mine is at a t10 (NU) non stem major. No class larger than 20 so far and already close to a professor.
Will have 1 large intro class next quarter.
Fabulous academic experience.
The food does suck though

STEM vs non-STEM. No comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is full pay at a T10 University and half through 2nd year. I am leaning to it not being worth it. The classes she's had are all huge lectures (all STEM). The professors have been mediocre. The advantages are (1) prestige, and, (2) being surrounded by extremely talented kids that, I guess, "drive" her. But I'm not so sure. I think the cost--whether $350 or $400 (it's on the high end of that range) is just too high in 2025. I probably would have given a different answer ten years ago. The reality is that she could have gone to a great school for 1/3 of the $$$ and that capital could have been redeployed elsewhere.

Hmmm.
Mine is at a t10 (NU) non stem major. No class larger than 20 so far and already close to a professor.
Will have 1 large intro class next quarter.
Fabulous academic experience.
The food does suck though

STEM vs non-STEM. No comparison.

If stem there’s no reason to go to these pricey schools. Esp if premed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He graduated from UMich with a degree in physics, jobless, and is now a full-time youtuber: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a83ZJ18u6kg

That's what 360K education from UMich get you.

I'm gonna place that more on the student/degree and less on the school....

Of course you would. Keep justifying. This poster is providing practical personal experience which is valuable. You...not so much. They didn't ask you to agree with something they experienced.

You know nothing about the graduate either. Your advice is also worthless.

The difference is I didn't act like I did or make any suggestion to the contrary.. Your post "I'm gonna place that more on the student/degree and less on the school" You really have an interesting perspective on things.

It wasn’t my post. [/quot



It was mine.

My kid is a senior at u Mich. Looking for a job became a primary focus Jr year. Had several internship offers and now a return job offer (LSA).

[Anonymous]

If you are really smart and motivated, sure, but if you are not, probably not (and it obviously depends on what your other choices may be). I went, I was in the Honors program and RC, and most of my friends and I were junior-year Phi Beta inductees. All of my colleagues have become very successful. The large departments, array of top departments, and flexibility allowed me to construct a curriculum on the liberal arts side that would be competitive with any in the country. But you have to know what you're doing when you go. If you are a little listless, aimless, or rudderless, it is not the place for you.