Carnegie Mellon vs UVA where would you go?

[Anonymous]

Carnegie Mellon has a 40-year projected NPV (Net Present Value -- factors costs and income) of $1.75M. UVA has a 40-year NPV of $1.29M.

https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/collegeroi/

If you want a "value added" analysis, Carnegie Mellon has median near term earnings of $72K/yr. vs expected earnings of $63.8K (expected is based on selectivity and the majors selected by graduates), for a value add of $8,200 per year. UVA has median earnings of $58.6K vs expected of $61K for a value add of negative $2,400 per year.

https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/college-rankings/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Carnegie Mellon has a 40-year projected NPV (Net Present Value -- factors costs and income) of $1.75M. UVA has a 40-year NPV of $1.29M.

https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/collegeroi/

If you want a "value added" analysis, Carnegie Mellon has median near term earnings of $72K/yr. vs expected earnings of $63.8K (expected is based on selectivity and the majors selected by graduates), for a value add of $8,200 per year. UVA has median earnings of $58.6K vs expected of $61K for a value add of negative $2,400 per year.

https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/college-rankings/

Here's another, perhaps superior, way to analyze the question: Suppose you, as a parent, invest the difference in cost between CMU and UVA on behalf of your child, and hold the funds in trust for 40 years. In other words, you take $40k/year X 4 = $160K, and grow that amount by an assumed real rate of return of 7% compounded over 40 years (or 10%/year in nominal terms). Your UVA grad will retire with a nest egg, expressed in current dollars, of $2.4 million (or $7.2 million expressed in 2060 dollars). These sums might be reduced somewhat it you can't figure out a tax-advantaged way to invest the money over the 40 year period.

And, of course, this analysis assumes your kid never does any retirement savings on his own (but he surely will).

In any event, the value of the invested difference in cost between CMU and UVA over 40 years positively swamps the difference in NPV of lifetime earnings you've cited above.

[Anonymous]

The kids from 2019 from DC's high school -- very different crowd chose UVA vs. CMU even with similar stats. Followed stereotypes of what you would expect. The Mr./Mrs. All-Around-High-School rah-rah types chose UVA while the quieter, more mathy/CS kids chose CMU.

[Anonymous]

The one that cots the least.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Carnegie Mellon has a 40-year projected NPV (Net Present Value -- factors costs and income) of $1.75M. UVA has a 40-year NPV of $1.29M.

https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/collegeroi/

If you want a "value added" analysis, Carnegie Mellon has median near term earnings of $72K/yr. vs expected earnings of $63.8K (expected is based on selectivity and the majors selected by graduates), for a value add of $8,200 per year. UVA has median earnings of $58.6K vs expected of $61K for a value add of negative $2,400 per year.

https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/college-rankings/

Here's another, perhaps superior, way to analyze the question: Suppose you, as a parent, invest the difference in cost between CMU and UVA on behalf of your child, and hold the funds in trust for 40 years. In other words, you take $40k/year X 4 = $160K, and grow that amount by an assumed real rate of return of 7% compounded over 40 years (or 10%/year in nominal terms). Your UVA grad will retire with a nest egg, expressed in current dollars, of $2.4 million (or $7.2 million expressed in 2060 dollars). These sums might be reduced somewhat it you can't figure out a tax-advantaged way to invest the money over the 40 year period.

And, of course, this analysis assumes your kid never does any retirement savings on his own (but he surely will).

In any event, the value of the invested difference in cost between CMU and UVA over 40 years positively swamps the difference in NPV of lifetime earnings you've cited above.

10% annual return on investment is not remotely realistic.
But if you want to use that theory, if the difference in pay is invested every year, it swamps out the UVA tuition different investment idea within a decade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The one that cots the least.

Many still cheaper options out there. Why stop there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Carnegie Mellon has a 40-year projected NPV (Net Present Value -- factors costs and income) of $1.75M. UVA has a 40-year NPV of $1.29M.

https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/collegeroi/

If you want a "value added" analysis, Carnegie Mellon has median near term earnings of $72K/yr. vs expected earnings of $63.8K (expected is based on selectivity and the majors selected by graduates), for a value add of $8,200 per year. UVA has median earnings of $58.6K vs expected of $61K for a value add of negative $2,400 per year.

https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/college-rankings/

Here's another, perhaps superior, way to analyze the question: Suppose you, as a parent, invest the difference in cost between CMU and UVA on behalf of your child, and hold the funds in trust for 40 years. In other words, you take $40k/year X 4 = $160K, and grow that amount by an assumed real rate of return of 7% compounded over 40 years (or 10%/year in nominal terms). Your UVA grad will retire with a nest egg, expressed in current dollars, of $2.4 million (or $7.2 million expressed in 2060 dollars). These sums might be reduced somewhat it you can't figure out a tax-advantaged way to invest the money over the 40 year period.

And, of course, this analysis assumes your kid never does any retirement savings on his own (but he surely will).

In any event, the value of the invested difference in cost between CMU and UVA over 40 years positively swamps the difference in NPV of lifetime earnings you've cited above.

10% annual return on investment is not remotely realistic.
But if you want to use that theory, if the difference in pay is invested every year, it swamps out the UVA tuition different investment idea within a decade.

NPV includes time value of inflows (income) and outflows (costs). So your example is already covered in the analysis.

[Anonymous]

To the PP who thinks that only rah rah kids, versus math/science kids, would choose UVA over CMU, that is just false. Our DC (TJ grad) chose UVA, other grads the same year chose CMU. The difference was not based on who was / was not interested in math or science - they all were. The difference for our DC was just that UVA felt more welcoming and more in line with what DC was hoping for from a college --- and from what I have seen, UVA seems more flexible with other courses (DC will have a dual Engineering and Arts major at the end) and possibly less stressful/more like a traditional university campus experience. Both seem very rigorous for the engineering degree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the PP who thinks that only rah rah kids, versus math/science kids, would choose UVA over CMU, that is just false. Our DC (TJ grad) chose UVA, other grads the same year chose CMU. The difference was not based on who was / was not interested in math or science - they all were. The difference for our DC was just that UVA felt more welcoming and more in line with what DC was hoping for from a college --- and from what I have seen, UVA seems more flexible with other courses (DC will have a dual Engineering and Arts major at the end) and possibly less stressful/more like a traditional university campus experience. Both seem very rigorous for the engineering degree.

What you have "seen" from not having a child attending CMU and it sounds like not even visiting, is incorrect. CMU encourages and supports students to double major, many even minor.

Agree that CMU is more challenging, and thus for some, more stressful. Don't send your kid to CMU unless they are willing to work -- no one is going to skate by.

[Anonymous]

If you swim in Franklins, go CMU. If your DC would rather save some money, then choose UVA degree plus ~200k in savings.

[Anonymous]

Read all posts, very helpful discussion. So the argument is basically about the money, right? If money is not an issue, people will always choose CMU, am I right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read all posts, very helpful discussion. So the argument is basically about the money, right? If money is not an issue, people will always choose CMU, am I right?

Yeah, if money isn't an object, CMU - assuming your kid has the right personality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read all posts, very helpful discussion. So the argument is basically about the money, right? If money is not an issue, people will always choose CMU, am I right?

The cost savings is one factor. Another is this: do you want your kid to have a normal college experience? If so, choose UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read all posts, very helpful discussion. So the argument is basically about the money, right? If money is not an issue, people will always choose CMU, am I right?

Funny how you can read many posts and synthesize them totally wrong.

[Anonymous]

When considering colleges, it's always useful to attempt to project a college's reputation 20 or 30 years hence.

Here's a potential problem with CMU. Currently it occupies a position of approximately 25th among national research unis.

But what's gonna happen if the Asians' lawsuit against Harvard succeeds, and the unstated (but rigid) quota system at the Ivies is ruled illegal?

As you know, the Ivies all somehow mysteriously/coincidentally limit Asian enrollment to 20%. This means that a school like CMU, which does not discriminate against Asians, is a beneficiary of the Ivy quota system.

If that quota system is eliminated, the demand for spots at CMU will decline. CMU will quite possibly fall in the rankings. Perhaps precipitously.

Just something to consider. (Especially if you're contemplating an additional spend of $40K/year over a degree from UVA.)