The Value of of a Bachelor's Degree

[DGS49]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

 

[Jimmy_Chitwood]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

I may be crazy but I would look at cost of living adjusted starting salaries.

 

[evenflow1969]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

There are appraisers of intangibles.Some one has likely already done this! If they are sharing that info I do not know. The amount of data that would be required to determine this would large. It would not be a low cost venture,but yes it could be done and there are people who do such a thing. Rick Wachenhorst out of Cincinatti is a good candidate. Casey Hamilton if he is still alive. I would imagine some organization has paid for such a study, the question is how recent.

 

[midcan5]

Once you could work your way up, today a BA may help open a door. In our modern gig economy it may help as well. The destruction of unions has hurt too. A STEM graduate is a means to more security today, but oddly most of my work these past twenty years or so didn't exist when I entered the job market.

Is College Worth It? - TIME

Education & the Workforce of the Future

College | Pew Research Center

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

You have obviously never researched colleges. All you have to do is Google.

 

[Marion Morrison]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

1. It got my friend's kid a good job.

 

[ScorpioRising007]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

From what I have seen from high school classmates where you go matters. Those that went to top colleges like Yale, Stanford, University of Chicago, Michigan got better jobs over those went unranked schools.

 

[MarathonMike]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

To use your example if you compare an EE degree from Penn State and an Ethnic Studies degree from Yale you may be comparing colleges more than degrees which would skew your results.

 

[ScorpioRising007]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

To use your example if you compare an EE degree from Penn State and an Ethnic Studies degree from Yale you may be comparing colleges more than degrees which would skew your results.

I would further say from my analysis of classmates I know those who went to colleges that were more selective based on SAT scores did a lot better than those who went to colleges that had low SAT admissions requirements or no SAT requirements. It seems to matter even if you didn't get in a top college, if you graduated from a somewhat more selective college than a college anyone can get into your chances of getting decent paying jobs seems a lot higher. High School classmates of mine that went to colleges with like 1200+ SAT averages I would say faired better than classmates who went to local colleges with low to no SAT requirements that accepted like 75% of all applicants. Graduates from State Universities seemed to do better at landing good jobs than those who went to the State extension campuses that had much lower SAT requirements I noticed.

Many students who go to low SAT requirement or no SAT requirement schools like I did shouldn't even go to college but go to trade school or get in an apprenticeship. I got like a 24 on my ACT got a Bachelor's and Master's with just low paying job offers after college never seemed to be able to move up in pay, so my only way to a middle class salary was to become a Truck Driver. Sadly my CDL was more valuable and led to more good paying job opportunities for me than my Bachelor's in Business and Master's in Education. Even guys I know who were liberal arts majors at more selective colleges seemed to do far better than graduates from colleges that let just about anyone in.

 

[Dan Stubbs]

Once you could work your way up, today a BA may help open a door. In our modern gig economy it may help as well. The destruction of unions has hurt too. A STEM graduate is a means to more security today, but oddly most of my work these past twenty years or so didn't exist when I entered the job market.

Is College Worth It? - TIME

Education & the Workforce of the Future

College | Pew Research Center

Depends on what the Major is, many of the degrees give now are False degrees that really don't need expert knowledge in. Media, Sports, real estate, pottery, Law-enforcement, photo lab, and many more. Many were created to make money for the schools. Many were taught by Special Schools for the Jobs that they would be used in. Met a guy who had a degree in Geography worked for Sara Lee as a Shipping director. Even he said that he never used anything that was taught in College. As for me Welding school, Auto tech worked out great.

 

[DGS49]

Maybe average starting salaries would be best. Is such information reliably collected?

My law school had some flashy numbers for grads' starting salaries, but they were bullshit. Self--reported, with the relative losers not responding.

 

[Unkotare]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

To use your example if you compare an EE degree from Penn State and an Ethnic Studies degree from Yale you may be comparing colleges more than degrees which would skew your results.

I would further say from my analysis of classmates I know those who went to colleges that were more selective based on SAT scores did a lot better than those who went to colleges that had low SAT admissions requirements or no SAT requirements. It seems to matter even if you didn't get in a top college, if you graduated from a somewhat more selective college than a college anyone can get into your chances of getting decent paying jobs seems a lot higher. High School classmates of mine that went to colleges with like 1200+ SAT averages I would say faired better than classmates who went to local colleges with low to no SAT requirements that accepted like 75% of all applicants. Graduates from State Universities seemed to do better at landing good jobs than those who went to the State extension campuses that had much lower SAT requirements I noticed.

Many students who go to low SAT requirement or no SAT requirement schools like I did shouldn't even go to college but go to trade school or get in an apprenticeship. I got like a 24 on my ACT got a Bachelor's and Master's with just low paying job offers after college never seemed to be able to move up in pay, so my only way to a middle class salary was to become a Truck Driver. Sadly my CDL was more valuable and led to more good paying job opportunities for me than my Bachelor's in Business and Master's in Education. Even guys I know who were liberal arts majors at more selective colleges seemed to do far better than graduates from colleges that let just about anyone in.

You might have had more success at interviews if you stopped saying “like” before every other fucking word.

 

[toobfreak]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

Worse than that, all this stuff you mention merely reflects static results as to how good of a test taker you are. In the final analysis, higher education in America is a HUGE rip off, the so-called "Bachelor's Degree"--- one used to get as much education by the time one left high school. Put another way, a high school education from a generation ago used to teach you as much as it now takes going through 4 years of college. The high schools are spending 60% of their time now trying to fill heads with social thinking fluff with a college degree now "mandatory" to get a job at Baskin Robbins so that you keep funneling lots of money back into a massively bloated self-serving system.

What you get out of it is a very narrow, highly specialized education that leaves you locked in one field with no common sense in anything else and we quite literally have a lot of idiots running the world now who haven't the brains to blow their noses but pass as intelligent people because of having a "degree."

And we wonder why the world is so screwed up. We have created a world governed not by what actually WORKS anymore but by doing what they believe is right or SHOULD work, even if it actually gives disastrous results.

 

[frigidweirdo]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

You can't quantify this, there are too many variables.

 

[ScorpioRising007]

Once you could work your way up, today a BA may help open a door. In our modern gig economy it may help as well. The destruction of unions has hurt too. A STEM graduate is a means to more security today, but oddly most of my work these past twenty years or so didn't exist when I entered the job market.

Is College Worth It? - TIME

Education & the Workforce of the Future

College | Pew Research Center

Depends on what the Major is, many of the degrees give now are False degrees that really don't need expert knowledge in. Media, Sports, real estate, pottery, Law-enforcement, photo lab, and many more. Many were created to make money for the schools. Many were taught by Special Schools for the Jobs that they would be used in. Met a guy who had a degree in Geography worked for Sara Lee as a Shipping director. Even he said that he never used anything that was taught in College. As for me Welding school, Auto tech worked out great.

Yeah I regret not trying welding, but after two college degrees and a lot years wasted in low paying $7-$12/hr jobs is to late in life to try to start over again. So the quickest career path change for me was to get a CDL and drive a truck.

I advise young kids I meet actually not to go to college, to go to welding school or a trade school instead. I talked one young kid out of college the other day at a truck stop I was having coffee. He wanted to go to college for a degree in Hospitality so he could work for hotels. I told him to ditch the college and go to trade school instead. I told him don't do the same mistake I did and go to college, he was better off doing a trade instead.

 

[Dan Stubbs]

Once you could work your way up, today a BA may help open a door. In our modern gig economy it may help as well. The destruction of unions has hurt too. A STEM graduate is a means to more security today, but oddly most of my work these past twenty years or so didn't exist when I entered the job market.

Is College Worth It? - TIME

Education & the Workforce of the Future

College | Pew Research Center

Depends on what the Major is, many of the degrees give now are False degrees that really don't need expert knowledge in. Media, Sports, real estate, pottery, Law-enforcement, photo lab, and many more. Many were created to make money for the schools. Many were taught by Special Schools for the Jobs that they would be used in. Met a guy who had a degree in Geography worked for Sara Lee as a Shipping director. Even he said that he never used anything that was taught in College. As for me Welding school, Auto tech worked out great.

I should have added that the Sheriff's dept suggested that I go to school. So I showed up as a 1st Sgt of the Sheriff's Dept. I was asked to see the Adm after class. I took the final test for the first two years of study, and passed. The by passed me on the first two years. I got passed in two week. Waste of money but made the Sheriff happy

 

[Dan Stubbs]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

To use your example if you compare an EE degree from Penn State and an Ethnic Studies degree from Yale you may be comparing colleges more than degrees which would skew your results.

I would further say from my analysis of classmates I know those who went to colleges that were more selective based on SAT scores did a lot better than those who went to colleges that had low SAT admissions requirements or no SAT requirements. It seems to matter even if you didn't get in a top college, if you graduated from a somewhat more selective college than a college anyone can get into your chances of getting decent paying jobs seems a lot higher. High School classmates of mine that went to colleges with like 1200+ SAT averages I would say faired better than classmates who went to local colleges with low to no SAT requirements that accepted like 75% of all applicants. Graduates from State Universities seemed to do better at landing good jobs than those who went to the State extension campuses that had much lower SAT requirements I noticed.

Many students who go to low SAT requirement or no SAT requirement schools like I did shouldn't even go to college but go to trade school or get in an apprenticeship. I got like a 24 on my ACT got a Bachelor's and Master's with just low paying job offers after college never seemed to be able to move up in pay, so my only way to a middle class salary was to become a Truck Driver. Sadly my CDL was more valuable and led to more good paying job opportunities for me than my Bachelor's in Business and Master's in Education. Even guys I know who were liberal arts majors at more selective colleges seemed to do far better than graduates from colleges that let just about anyone in.

My son took the SATs in Middle School and passed I guess they just need more students in Flower Arranging.

 

[Dan Stubbs]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

To use your example if you compare an EE degree from Penn State and an Ethnic Studies degree from Yale you may be comparing colleges more than degrees which would skew your results.

I would further say from my analysis of classmates I know those who went to colleges that were more selective based on SAT scores did a lot better than those who went to colleges that had low SAT admissions requirements or no SAT requirements. It seems to matter even if you didn't get in a top college, if you graduated from a somewhat more selective college than a college anyone can get into your chances of getting decent paying jobs seems a lot higher. High School classmates of mine that went to colleges with like 1200+ SAT averages I would say faired better than classmates who went to local colleges with low to no SAT requirements that accepted like 75% of all applicants. Graduates from State Universities seemed to do better at landing good jobs than those who went to the State extension campuses that had much lower SAT requirements I noticed.

Many students who go to low SAT requirement or no SAT requirement schools like I did shouldn't even go to college but go to trade school or get in an apprenticeship. I got like a 24 on my ACT got a Bachelor's and Master's with just low paying job offers after college never seemed to be able to move up in pay, so my only way to a middle class salary was to become a Truck Driver. Sadly my CDL was more valuable and led to more good paying job opportunities for me than my Bachelor's in Business and Master's in Education. Even guys I know who were liberal arts majors at more selective colleges seemed to do far better than graduates from colleges that let just about anyone in.

I does help is you really good at Football or a sport they will lower the goals for you, and you get a degree in Law Enforcement. which will really get you ahead.

 

[Unkotare]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

To use your example if you compare an EE degree from Penn State and an Ethnic Studies degree from Yale you may be comparing colleges more than degrees which would skew your results.

I would further say from my analysis of classmates I know those who went to colleges that were more selective based on SAT scores did a lot better than those who went to colleges that had low SAT admissions requirements or no SAT requirements. It seems to matter even if you didn't get in a top college, if you graduated from a somewhat more selective college than a college anyone can get into your chances of getting decent paying jobs seems a lot higher. High School classmates of mine that went to colleges with like 1200+ SAT averages I would say faired better than classmates who went to local colleges with low to no SAT requirements that accepted like 75% of all applicants. Graduates from State Universities seemed to do better at landing good jobs than those who went to the State extension campuses that had much lower SAT requirements I noticed.

Many students who go to low SAT requirement or no SAT requirement schools like I did shouldn't even go to college but go to trade school or get in an apprenticeship. I got like a 24 on my ACT got a Bachelor's and Master's with just low paying job offers after college never seemed to be able to move up in pay, so my only way to a middle class salary was to become a Truck Driver. Sadly my CDL was more valuable and led to more good paying job opportunities for me than my Bachelor's in Business and Master's in Education. Even guys I know who were liberal arts majors at more selective colleges seemed to do far better than graduates from colleges that let just about anyone in.

My son took the SATs in Middle School and passed I guess they just need more students in Flower Arranging.

Complete...

 

[Cecilie1200]

Does anyone know of any method of quantitatively evaluating a college degree?

To illustrate the question, how would one compare, say, a degree in electrical engineering from Penn State with a degree in Ethnic Studies from Yale?

The "good" evaluation system would take into account, as a minimum:

The relative competitiveness of the college,
The academic rigor of the college major,
Grades vs. The same - school average (some schools inflate grades).

It seems to me that these are all things that could be quantified. What is the average SAT score of admitted freshmen? What is the ratio of applicants to accepted students? SAT scores of students with the same major. Grades are obtainable, provided individual names are not divulged.

Does anybody do this?

First thing I'd need to know is the standard against which you want to evaluate it.

In terms of likelihood of getting a job? In terms of average earning potential? In terms of how happy the person will be with it? What are you looking for?