Forbes Top 50 Universities, 2021

[cawacko]

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.

Plenty of parents think it's worth it which is why costs continue to rise (along with gov't loan programs but that is a separate discussion).

There are a number of students that get grants and scholarships so they are not paying full freight. But without that you either need to be from a rich family, poor enough that the school might cover your costs or take out a sh*t load of loans.

 

[Walt]

Plenty of parents think it's worth it which is why costs continue to rise (along with gov't loan programs but that is a separate discussion).

I agree with you there. I am part of the problem. I would gladly pay twice as much, so schools could literally double their tuition.

Not everyone is like me. The elite schools want the best more than the highest tuition. If they start losing poor, but great students, they have and will start figuring out ways to get those students in. That goes for great middle class students. It does not go for just good students who cannot pay a fortune.

But without that you either need to be from a rich family, poor enough that the school might cover your costs or take out a sh*t load of loans.

The elite schools literally look at the amount you can pay, plus the amount you can borrow, and that is the amount they will charge you. Not a penny more, and not a penny less. The sliding scale sounds great, it gives everyone access, until you realize it maxes out what almost everyone has to pay. Obviously, if your family is truly rich, they will not charge you billions to go to their school, but everyone else has to pay the maximum they can.

On a meta policy basis, I see a real problem with that. On a personal basis, I say where do I have to pay, and will you accept a blank check.

 

[Cypress]

This thread …

Of all the thousands of threads here that indulged in racism, bigotry, sexism, or just juvenile gossip and personal attacks, it is weird you actually took the time to publically register your displeasure with this one.

 

[cawacko]

I agree with you there. I am part of the problem. I would gladly pay twice as much, so schools could literally double their tuition.

Not everyone is like me. The elite schools want the best more than the highest tuition. If they start losing poor, but great students, they have and will start figuring out ways to get those students in. That goes for great middle class students. It does not go for just good students who cannot pay a fortune.



The elite schools literally look at the amount you can pay, plus the amount you can borrow, and that is the amount they will charge you. Not a penny more, and not a penny less. The sliding scale sounds great, it gives everyone access, until you realize it maxes out what almost everyone has to pay. Obviously, if your family is truly rich, they will not charge you billions to go to their school, but everyone else has to pay the maximum they can.

On a meta policy basis, I see a real problem with that. On a personal basis, I say where do I have to pay, and will you accept a blank check.

My daughter is five. Ask her what she's going to do when she is 18 and she'll tell you go to USC. Will I be able to afford it? That remains to be seen.

I disagree that schools think tuition isn't important. It's possible for Harvard with its $30+ billion endowment its less of an issue but for most schools its important. USC has a large international student population. They don't do that because they want world peace, they do it because those kids pay full tuition. The UC's let in a healthy number of out of state students. They aren't doing it because they think California kids need to go to school with more geographic diversity, they want that higher priced out of state tuition those kids pay.

Ultimately of course endowments are built on the back of donations. And schools are willing to give scholarships to attract top students. But there's a percentage they'll let in because they pay the full freight. That's where you can get hosed being a middle class Joe.

 

[Walt]

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.

I do not want to boast about how many of the top schools I was accepted to... So I will just remain silently smiling. Neither here nor there, I did not apply to Berkley, they did not try to recruit me, and I was not accepted. They are a good school, and I have nothing bad to say about them.

The top universities are definitely well represented in the Northeast, but less so in the rest of the country.... Except Silicon Valley.

 

[Sailor]

I do not want to boast about how many of the top schools I was accepted to... So I will just remain silently smiling. Neither here nor there, I did not apply to Berkley, they did not try to recruit me, and I was not accepted. They are a good school, and I have nothing bad to say about them.

The top universities are definitely well represented in the Northeast, but less so in the rest of the country.... Except Silicon Valley.

The only university you were accepted to was the University of Bullshit. And you definitely got your doctorates.

 

[Walt]

The only university you were accepted to was the University of Bullshit. And you definitely got your doctorates.

Never got my doctorate, but I could go back still and get it. Every year, they review my leave, and decide whether to extend it. It has been 18 years of extensions. No one is more surprised than me on that. But I need to save money for retirement, and sending the kids to college.

 

[Sailor]

Never got my doctorate, but I could go back still and get it. Every year, they review my leave, and decide whether to extend it. It has been 18 years of extensions. No one is more surprised than me on that. But I need to save money for retirement, and sending the kids to college.

Yawn. Why do you lie so much Walt? Figure out how to build a wall yet?

 

[Stringfellow Hawk]

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

it shows so well....lol

 

[Cypress]

I do not want to boast about how many of the top schools I was accepted to... So I will just remain silently smiling. Neither here nor there, I did not apply to Berkley, they did not try to recruit me, and I was not accepted. They are a good school, and I have nothing bad to say about them.

The top universities are definitely well represented in the Northeast, but less so in the rest of the country.... Except Silicon Valley.

These lists of top universities are always grounds for bragging rights. I would be curious if you or anyone else got accepted to a top ten school.

The Ivy league schools mostly started out as divinity schools in the 17th century. Maybe that is why the western US mainly is known for the big public land grant universities.

 

[Walt]

These lists of top universities are always grounds for bragging rights. I would be curious if you or anyone else got accepted to a top ten school.

The Ivy league schools mostly started out as divinity schools in the 17th century. Maybe that is why the western US mainly is known for the big public land grant universities.

I always make fun of Stanford alumni by saying they went to a "junior university." Technically Stanfords name is "Leland Stanford Junior University", not because it is a junior university, but because it was named after a person who was a junior.

Rankings are very much about bragging rights, and about the success of the people you will meet there, but it is also about the quality of the education.

That being said, I have met some very well educated people who flunked out of community college, and some very poorly educated people who went to Ivy Leagues. Education is what you make of it.

 

[Cypress]

I always make fun of Stanford alumni by saying they went to a "junior university." Technically Stanfords name is "Leland Stanford Junior University", not because it is a junior university, but because it was named after a person who was a junior.

Rankings are very much about bragging rights, and about the success of the people you will meet there, but it is also about the quality of the education.

That being said, I have met some very well educated people who flunked out of community college, and some very poorly educated people who went to Ivy Leagues. Education is what you make of it.

It like college football polls, these lists are about bragging about one's alma maters.

I have had some associations with lower tier state universities and community colleges and am not the least bit sensitive about it.

Outside of the most elite law firms and research institutions, I don't think it matters that much if one went to Princeton or to Ohio State. It comes down to personal ability.

 

[Walt]

Outside of the most elite law firms and research institutions, I don't think it matters that much if one went to Princeton or to Ohio State. It comes down to personal ability.

I agree. An elite college can get you your first job, but after that it is on you. I would say that the education from an elite college can give you benefits for life. It is much easier to get a fantastic education at Princeton than at Austin Community College.

For-profit college are a red flag. I would rather hire someone without any college education than someone with a degree from a for-profit college. They are fake degrees. I would rather hire someone with an honest lack of a degree than someone with a fake degree.

 

[leaningright]

Of all the thousands of threads here that indulged in racism, bigotry, sexism, or just juvenile gossip and personal attacks, it is weird you actually took the time to publically register your displeasure with this one.

Probably because I’m an educator and read threads that supposedly deal with education.

If I took the time to read and roll my eyes at every thread or comment that is bigoted (and that does go both ways) it would be a full time job. I just use the ignore feature and focus on those few threads that I might be interested in.

Like yesterday, I read this thread and the thread in general politics dealing with the second amendment. I could have eye-rolled that one too but I didn’t take the time to.

 

[Cypress]

Probably because I’m an educator and read threads that supposedly deal with education.

If I took the time to read and roll my eyes at every thread or comment that is bigoted (and that does go both ways) it would be a full time job. I just use the ignore feature and focus on those few threads that I might be interested in.

Like yesterday, I read this thread and the thread in general politics dealing with the second amendment. I could have eye-rolled that one too but I didn’t take the time to.

Still super weird that you are as silent as a church mouse on the vast multitude of truly deplorable threads on this website, while taking the time to complain about the quality of this one.

 

[Sailor]

Still super weird that you are as silent as a church mouse on the vast multitude of truly deplorable threads on this website, while taking the time to complain about the quality of this one.

Quality? LMAO! This thread is dumb as the OP that started it.