Salary Potential by School

DunninLA
Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:40:51 +0000

Firstly, you’ve got to control for the aptitude of the student at a given school, else this is completely meaningless.

Secondly, such a study has been performed by by academicians… the Krueger/Dale study.

It is true that the most prestigious of schools will enable a GIVEN student an advantage in realized earnings… per the Kureger Dale study, about $10k (if I recall correctly) over a 25 year period. NOT $10k per month, NOT $10k per year, but less than $10k per 25 year earnings period.

The key is that Krueger/Dale controlled for student aptitude…that is, students who were granted admission to Top 10 schools, but for financial, emotional, family, pure personal preference, or other reasons instead matriculated into, and graduated from, top publics like Michigan, Berkeley, Viginia, etc.

The conclusion is that, with a very notable exception of historically disadvantaged kids, the kid makes the university, not the other way around. The most prestigious schools simply keep their students alive and well until they are released to pursue their life’s passions… not different from elite State U.