Forbes Top 50 Universities, 2021

[Walt]

Yeah, a clear jerry rigged method. You sound like my Cal buddies who texted this article to me. Fvxk with some inputs to get your desired outcome.

It is something to think about. Apparently, the early career salary of Stanford is 6% higher than Berkley, but we all know that Stanford has a tuition that is 3 or 4 times higher than Berkley. If you are just looking at salary as the income, paying 300% more for a 6% higher salary...

But salary is at best just a proxy for what is really important, and even there it is just an average. I would still rather have my kids go to Stanford. I already have the money saved for that level of expense.

 

[Walt]

My university made top 20!

Forbes is crystal clear about their methodology. How much bang for the buck are you getting at these schools?

How much are you really benefiting for spending ten times more money to go to Colombia than going to Cal-Berkley?

Congrats on the good ranking. My undergrad did not make the top 50, but my grad was very high indeed. Considering that I got paid to go to graduate school, I guess it was a very good investment.

Ranking is not is just to give you ideas about schools. It is not the be all end all. I really do not know why Cawacko is so obsessed about this.

 

[Cypress]

All of which you never attended. Just saying.

I wouldn't get into Harvard, but I was accepted three times at two top 20 schools on that list - once for undergraduate, two of them for graduate studies.

 

[Cypress]

Congrats on the good ranking. My undergrad did not make the top 50, but my grad was very high indeed. Considering that I got paid to go to graduate school, I guess it was a very good investment.

Ranking is not is just to give you ideas about schools. It is not the be all end all. I really do not know why Cawacko is so obsessed about this.

I think the message that you get a very good bang for the buck at a top tier public university is valuable information for anyone interested in pursuing higher education.

 

[Walt]

I think the message that you get a very good bang for the buck at a top tier public university is valuable information for anyone interested in pursuing higher education.

It is certainly hard to argue with that message.

 

[cawacko]

It is something to think about. Apparently, the early career salary of Stanford is 6% higher than Berkley, but we all know that Stanford has a tuition that is 3 or 4 times higher than Berkley. If you are just looking at salary as the income, paying 300% more for a 6% higher salary...

But salary is at best just a proxy for what is really important, and even there it is just an average. I would still rather have my kids go to Stanford. I already have the money saved for that level of expense.

I know plenty of 'SC alum that love the school but say no way they would pay $80K+/yr to send their kid there. Not everyone has F you money and you can think education is important but not want to spend $350K on each kid you have for college.

 

[cawacko]

Congrats on the good ranking. My undergrad did not make the top 50, but my grad was very high indeed. Considering that I got paid to go to graduate school, I guess it was a very good investment.

Ranking is not is just to give you ideas about schools. It is not the be all end all. I really do not know why Cawacko is so obsessed about this.

Why? Because its personal. You're not from Cali. You don't understand the Nor Cal/So Cal rivalry and especially the Cal-USC rivalry. You didn't grow up hanging out on Telegraph Ave going to Blondie's "Make Love Not War" Pizza and sneaking into Cal fraternity party's in high school. Trojan for life though. Can't beat the alumni network at 'SC.

 

[McRocket]

With few exceptions - it is common knowledge that public universities are for people whom just want a degree for as cheaply as possible.

Private universities are for people whom wish to get the best, possible education and are prepared to pay for it (again with some exceptions).


'Bang-for-the-buck' is just another way of saying...'not the best - but at least it's cheap'.
Like a Chevrolet Camaro SS vs. a Chevrolet Corvette.


(note - though after 2019? They do not sell Corvettes any longer. They sell cheap Ferrari's and stick Corvette badges on them.
No REAL Corvette has the engine behind the driver. BLAH!!!)

 

[McRocket]

By the way, In my opinion?

College degrees are usually STAGGERINGLY overrated.

I got a BS in business from a well-respected, private university?
I learned almost nothing that truly prepared me for the world of economics...except some history, a LOT of near-useless terminology and a bunch of theories from my prof's (professors).

LOTS of the mega-wealthy never got a degree.
https://www.profitableventure.com/school-drop-out-billionaires-successful-entrepreneurs/


My advice?

1) if you KNOW what you want to be and you HAVE to have a degree to do it (doctor, lawyer, nurse, engineer, etc.)
Then college is - obviously - a good idea.

2) if you do not know what you want to be OR you know but a college degree is not essential for it?
DO NOT go to college...unless someone/something else is paying for it (like when I went).

Travel, start a business, sit on your ass for a year or two (to find yourself)...whatever.
But there are few things, scholastically sadder than someone with a degree in a field they no longer care about...with student loans up the yahoo.

Do not go to college unless you are POSITIVE of what you want to be AND you NEED a degree to do it (again...unless it's free).

 

[Walt]

I know plenty of 'SC alum that love the school but say no way they would pay $80K+/yr to send their kid there. Not everyone has F you money and you can think education is important but not want to spend $350K on each kid you have for college.

Top private universities work on a sliding scale. If you have $350k, they will take $350k. If you have $10k, they will take $10k plus $50k in loans.

 

[cawacko]

Top private universities work on a sliding scale. If you have $350k, they will take $350k. If you have $10k, they will take $10k plus $50k in loans.

Except loans aren’t free. Yes going into massive debt is an option but not one all individuals or families want to make. Some of these elite schools with enormous endowments will cover the costs for poor students but if you’re in the middle you’re kind of f’d.

 

[leaningright]

This thread …

 

[Walt]

Except loans aren’t free. Yes going into massive debt is an option but not one all individuals or families want to make. Some of these elite schools with enormous endowments will cover the costs for poor students but if you’re in the middle you’re kind of f’d.

I did not say loans were free. What I am saying is that top private universities take everything you have plus a hefty loan. So if you have nothing, they will take a $50k loan. If you have $50k, they will take $50k plus a $50k loan. If you have $100k, they will take $100k plus a $50k loan. The only way to avoid the $50k loan is if you have close to $500k.

 

[cawacko]

I did not say loans were free. What I am saying is that top private universities take everything you have plus a hefty loan. So if you have nothing, they will take a $50k loan. If you have $50k, they will take $50k plus a $50k loan. If you have $100k, they will take $100k plus a $50k loan. The only way to avoid the $50k loan is if you have close to $500k.

I guess I’m not following your point based on what you responded too. I said there were alums who feel the school is so expensive that it doesn’t provide the value at that price point. The fact that you can take out large loans to pay for it doesn’t change that position.

(Of course you look at the number of applicants the school receives and clearly there are plenty of people who think it worth it.)

 

[Walt]

I said there were alums who feel the school is so expensive that it doesn’t provide the value at that price point.

I have kids who will be going to college in a few years, so I see it from that perspective. The list you gave was interesting, because it says that paying 300% more for Stanford above Berkley only gets 6% more in average salary. It is something serious to think about.

That being said, I am of the attitude of any price is worth paying. Price is not much of a factor to me or my children.

I will say I question why it has to be so expensive. The elite private universities do not need the money. The tuition money is not particularly important to them. The headline tuition number is not what most of the students pay. It seems to be more about bragging rights.

 

[Stringfellow Hawk]

trump is still bitter that he could not get into law school. If he had graduated at the "top of his class" as he claimed, he would have had no problem getting into law school.

how awful, a bitter billionaire, me thinks you are the bitter one

 

[PoliTalker]

Hello Walt,

America has an outstanding university system. It really is one of our strongest points... And of course Republicans want to destroy it.

There is a good upper education to be had in America. And if you want to be really rich, the best thing to do is buy up that education with the stigma of an elite big name. Not only do you get the education, you get all the contacts needed to become obscenely wealthy. Sadly, what is done with that wealth is not overly impressive.

 

[Walt]

how awful, a bitter billionaire, me thinks you are the bitter one

One of the central points to trump's character is bitterness. I am actually quite happy with my life.

 

[Cypress]

By the way, In my opinion?

College degrees are usually STAGGERINGLY overrated.

I got a BS in business from a well-respected, private university?
I learned almost nothing that truly prepared me for the world of economics...except some history, a LOT of near-useless terminology and a bunch of theories from my prof's (professors).

LOTS of the mega-wealthy never got a degree.
https://www.profitableventure.com/school-drop-out-billionaires-successful-entrepreneurs/


My advice?

1) if you KNOW what you want to be and you HAVE to have a degree to do it (doctor, lawyer, nurse, engineer, etc.)
Then college is - obviously - a good idea.

2) if you do not know what you want to be OR you know but a college degree is not essential for it?
DO NOT go to college...unless someone/something else is paying for it (like when I went).

Travel, start a business, sit on your ass for a year or two (to find yourself)...whatever.
But there are few things, scholastically sadder than someone with a degree in a field they no longer care about...with student loans up the yahoo.

Do not go to college unless you are POSITIVE of what you want to be AND you NEED a degree to do it (again...unless it's free).

Almost no 18 year old has the knowledge or life experience to start up a business.

Only trust fund babies have the liesure and means to travel the world.

A Business degree is a bigger joke than a liberal arts degree - though an MBA is suitable for experienced professionals.

Student loan forgiveness for college grads sinking in debt.

 

[Cypress]

I just realized that I attended or was excepted to three schools on Forbes list.

One in the top 15, one in the top 20, one in the top 45.

I rarely have ever worked with a professional from one of the elite, private universities, though they they are undoubtedly more common in elite law firms, national politics, and as professors at top tier universities.

Those graduates are probably more abundant in the east, too. The west is dominated by big, public land grant universities.