<p>I’m a senior at Rose-Hulman, so I’ll throw my $0.02 in.</p>
<p>As far as ROI and pure salary goes, most engineers will make similar amounts of money starting out post-graduation. In general a Rose-Hulman graduate will make a similar starting wage to a Georgia Tech grad to an Ohio State grad. There are some differences as far as what opportunities are available to different graduates, but starting salaries at a company are fairly independent of the graduating university. Of course, there are things that make a Rose-Hulman education valuable that aren’t apparent in starting salaries.</p>
<p>If Rose-Hulman “fits” you better than another school, that’s invaluable. Finding a school that fits you as a student and allows you to excel will set you up for more happiness in college and much more success in your career than trudging your way through a difficult curriculum like engineering at a school that you dislike. Many students come to Rose and really thrive in the tight-knit environment - not only does it help them succeed academically, but it helps develop a lot of non-academic areas as well. A lot of students are more inclined to get involved with sports, student government, clubs, etc., at a school like Rose-Hulman than a large university. Many students come into their own socially and as leaders at Rose.</p>
<p>I’ll say that in my own experience, my Rose education has given me everything I wanted of my college experience. I’ve enjoyed the interaction that I’ve had with professors and fellow students, and the environment has helped me to succeed academically. I’ve had two internships the last two summers with companies very respected in their fields, and I obtained both through the career services department here. I had several offers to choose from during my job search this year, and I ended up accepting a job that is a dream opportunity for me. I don’t know whether these opportunities would have been available for me had I gone to another school, but I would find it hard to believe that the unique environment here at Rose had nothing to do it.</p>
<p>Whether the value balance tips for or against Rose depends on your individual circumstances. I would definitely not recommend taking out $160,000 in loans for Rose-Hulman or any undergraduate education. That’s just too much of a burden to take on in an uncertain world. Is it worth $80,000? $20,000? Completely dependent on your individual situation, of course.</p>