How good is Wisconsin engineering/OOS chances?

ClassicRockerDad
Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:00:30 +0000

I think the 4yr graduation rate is important. I don’t know whose “facts” to believe, but if you get the data, it’s important to consider two factors that increase the cost if you take longer to graduate. There is the cost of extra tuition, if you have to pay it, that everyone mentioned, but there is also the cost of the portion of your first year salary which you will lose. If you defer your graduation by 6 months, and your starting salary is $50K, then it costs you an extra $25K minus the taxes.

If people are taking longer to graduate because they do co-op or something else worthwhile, then that’s a life choice. Co-op is potentially worth it because it makes you a better engineer - an investment that will pay for itself. But if the reason people are taking longer is because they can’t get into the classes that they need then I think the foregone salary is a very costly though often neglected factor.