Is college worth the cost? "Ivory Tower" documentary on CNN

[Anonymous]

Just watched this and it was shocking. Low to mediocre at best educational value (even at the "good" schools), binge drinking and delaying adulthood, gaining no marketable skills while racking up $100K in student debt that can never be discharged even in bankruptcy.

I've heard all this before, but the documentary put it all together in a way that's got me thinking about alternatives to buying into that broken system. Does anyone have any experience with some of the interesting ideas mentioned -- the UnCollege movement, for one, or schools like Deep Springs in California?

I feel like higher ed is the new tech bubble, housing bubble and shortly after my kids have bought in at sky high prices, the whole thing will burst.

[Anonymous]

My takeaway from this documentary was that parents need to seriously think about what exactly they are purchasing. THe scenes of the binge drinking made you realize that a lot of people appear to be just writing the check, taking out the loan and hoping for the best. Compare that to the scenes of Spelman College in the documentary -- a school where the administration, faculty and students all have a vision and are committed to achieving it. You need to think about why you are going to college, for one. You get the sense that all those party kids just kind of drifted into the whole thing.

[Anonymous]

My take away f rom this was: choose very carefully. There are a few schools that may be worth the money, but for 4 years of having a great time, so not worth it. There are many colleges that cost less than these. And that guy from Wesleyan was slimy. You still need a college education to get by in the US economy unless you have a great working class job lined up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just watched this and it was shocking. Low to mediocre at best educational value (even at the "good" schools), binge drinking and delaying adulthood, gaining no marketable skills while racking up $100K in student debt that can never be discharged even in bankruptcy.

I've heard all this before, but the documentary put it all together in a way that's got me thinking about alternatives to buying into that broken system. Does anyone have any experience with some of the interesting ideas mentioned -- the UnCollege movement, for one, or schools like Deep Springs in California?

I feel like higher ed is the new tech bubble, housing bubble and shortly after my kids have bought in at sky high prices, the whole thing will burst.

Deep Springs takes about 30 kids and is a two year college.

[Anonymous]

everything I have read says just the opposite: college grads earn far more over their lifetimes than non-college grads and the difference is so significant that even with these large debts (which suck, no one disagrees on that) - it is one of the best investments a person can make.

[Anonymous]

you can look this up. Over the course of a working life the college grads will earn over $1 million more than non-college yards. So even a debt of $100K may be worth the investment. As a poster above said, however, you need to choose a decent school and major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:you can look this up. Over the course of a working life the college grads will earn over $1 million more than non-college yards. So even a debt of $100K may be worth the investment. As a poster above said, however, you need to choose a decent school and major.

+1

For long-term financial success you need a college degree (or to complete a good trade apprenticeship). But kids need to think seriously about what their post-college career plans are and how to get there in a cost effective way. For example, my sister is a nurse and was accepted to U Penn's nursing program. But it would have cost far more than the good nursing program at a state college. She went to the state school and has had a very happy career in nursing, with no student loans to pay off. Hospital pay scales are pretty much the same regardless of where you graduate so it would have been ridiculous to pay so much more for that degree.