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<p>Another factor is where you choose to work. Salaries in some cities/regions are higher than in others, for the same job, for a variety of reasons including cost of living and market demand. I know. I’ve moved around the country. There is a difference between say New York City and Omaha. It may be that graduates of say Bucknell choose careers in New York City or Philadelphia more than Oberlin grads. I’m betting a higher percentage of Oberlin grads choose the Peace Corps or some other low paying public service type jobs. So just looking at income is deceptive. The real measure of degree worthiness/payoff should be the percentage of grads that get the type of job they actually want. An entry level job with a non-profit or teaching kindergarten rather than Goldman Sachs may be exacty what some graduates want. So how did their expensive degree not pay off if they got the job/career they aspired to? </p>
<p>It’s up to the individual to decide if their degree has returned the investment. It’s a shameful aspect of American culture that frames every worthiness measure in terms of money. Our society sends both subliminal and overt messages that to seek a job other than one that pays a lot of money will mark you as some kind of loser. What a wonderful world this would be if every student aspired to become a hedge fund manager—or die.</p>