Value of an Education

tech_fan
Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:56:30 +0000

The best studies (Google Dale and Krueger) suggest that if you get into a top-notch school but choose to go to a lower ranked one, your lifetime earnings will be affected negligibly, if at all. So if all you care about is money, then going to Caltech funded purely by loans may be a bad bet.

On the other hand, the other nonmonetary benefits (a shot at top professorships, top jobs at big firms) are significant, but less tangible. At that point, it inches closer to being a matter of taste. How much is a top notch education worth to you? How much do you care about the interactions and experiences you can get at Caltech but not elsewhere?