Is 40k debt worth the prestige/alumni connections?

It’s nice to hope for the better, but it’s pragmatic to have a contingency plan to deal w the worse.

Graduating in LA, you will have to distinguish yourself to job recruiters from the 10’s of thousands of other college students graduating simultaneously in LA from UCLA USC Claremont Pomona Pitzer Scripps Mudd Caltech Oxy LMarymount Pepperdine, etc. Lots and lots and lots of competition for a major that is dime a dozen.

http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013/04/10-most-worthless-college-majors/communications