World's Most Expensive Universities

[Vinny_121_DDS]

This may surprise you: The world’s most expensive universities are not haute institutions in the Swiss Alps or on the balmy shores of the Persian Gulf. Nor are they the Ivy League citadels of America’s elite like Harvard or Princeton, or ancient halls of learning like Cambridge or Oxford in the United Kingdom.No, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the most expensive four-year university in the U.S. (and most likely the world) is Washington, D.C.’s George Washington University, with a price tag of $39,240 in 2007-2008. Rounding out the top five: Ohio’s Kenyon College ($38,140), Bucknell University in Pennsylvania ($38,134) and Vassar College ($38,115) and Sarah Lawrence College ($38,090), both in New York. All private, all selective and all extremely pricey--and that’s before room, board and books are factored in.
Those costs reflect a trend among private American universities--charge a stratospheric tuition fee, then offer a generous financial aid package. A GW official says the university provides the most need-based aid in the country, according to national rankings. For this year’s freshman class, that package was an average of $23,466. Next month, the school’s new president is expected to announce a plan for improving affordability at GW.
“The cost of obtaining a U.S. degree is among the highest in the world and rising, which may discourage international students,” says a 2007 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Globally, the average cost of a public education in the U.S. ($4,587) was second only to Australia ($5,289) in 2003-2004, the years surveyed for the study. For private education, the U.S. schools have the highest average price tags.
Of course, the affordability of an education all depends on how much income one brings home. In Western Europe, where most universities are heavily subsidized by national governments, the price can appear astoundingly cheap. Even at Cambridge and Oxford in the United Kingdom, a student’s contribution toward tuition is capped at 3,070 British pounds annually. The average cost of public higher education in Spain was only about $800 just five years ago, according to the GAO. But it's worth noting that Europeans pay higher income taxes than Americans to pay for these and other social services.
Private universities in Europe can be as pricey as their U.S. counterparts. One example: The American University of Paris, just around the block from the Eiffel Tower, which charges 23,784 euros ($34,725 USD) annually for tuition and fees.
Not good news for its U.S. students, which comprise 35% of the student population, as the dollar has fallen sharply against the euro in the past year. To be sure, there are indeed some pricey Swiss schools, like Franklin College near the Italian border, where tuition and fees are $30,860.
In many former communist countries, particularly in Eastern Europe and Africa, governments offer a "dual-track" tuition policy, where tuition is provided free to the nation's top students but a fee is charged to everyone else. The alliance between student unions and far-left political parties in those countries makes governments terrified of tuition fees.
In general, tuition fees at non-U.S. private universities are below $10,000 per year. Some exceptions:
In Japan, where some of the best undergraduate programs are found at national universities (costing about $7,500 USD per year), top-rated private schools typically base their tuition on one’s major. At Tokyo’s Aoyama Gakuin, an educational institute founded in 1874 by Methodist Episcopal missionaries, tuition ranges from $11,700 to $16,100 annually.
Canada’s Quest University, which opened last September, charges $24,000 Canadian dollars ($23,420 USD) annually for an alternative-style education where students study just one subject at time for 18-day “blocks.”
In the U.K., the University of Buckingham, which claims to be the only university in the country that does not receive government aid, tuition fees are tiered and an undergraduate degree is packed into two years. All told, a Buckingham education costs 15,500 pounds ($30,400 USD) for British students and 27,000 pounds ($52,800) for international students. It’s got prestige, though: former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was a Buckingham chancellor.
Just as private U.S. universities are the world’s most expensive, American-style universities abroad fetch top-dollar tuition fees. One such is the American University of Sharjah, founded in 1997. It’s a sign of globalization in the Persian Gulf region, with a wide range of degrees--from architecture to business--with all courses taught in English.
So what are beleaguered students and their parents to make of such high tuition fees? Take heart: Paying top dollar gets you a good education, but there are always attractive and far cheaper publicly funded alternatives available.
One thing to note: We excluded junior colleges and schools serving a particular need from our list. Had we included them, Vermont’s Landmark College ($41,275 per year), which caters to students with learning disabilities, would have been first. Texas Culinary Academy ($38,850 annually) would have ranked third.
http://finance.yahoo.com/loans/article/104277/The-Worlds-Most-Expensive-Universities



I don't understand why going to university has to be so expensive. Wherever you go for school, the one thing constant is that it's a lot of work. Does graduating from princeton or harvard get you a higher salary? I want to know how students feel after paying that much. Was it worth it, and what's the difference between a state university, ivy league, and canadian schools (tuition is 10,000 for international students)?

[kosse]

I've never really understood the US education system either. Person's abilities should dictate what schools he or she can go to, not how much money their parents have.

[SBL]

I've never really understood the US education system either. Person's abilities should dictate what schools he or she can go to, not how much money their parents have.


That's why we have scholarships.

[Vinny_121_DDS]

I read before that after undergrad graduation, most students come back home and live with the parents to pay off the debt first before moving out.

[molly747]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that you guys aren't American. I don't like that US universities are so expensive, but my parents have a good friend that on a the board of a large, public Mississippi university--and believe me, it takes an astronomical amount of money to keep a college afloat, even one that gets state aid. There are so many expenses, it makes you wonder why tuition isn't more expensive. But private universities are in a bit of a bind, since they don't received public aid--they have to depend on tuition, endowments, grants and alumni giving.

[Breakfast in Vegas]

I read before that after undergrad graduation, most students come back home and live with the parents to pay off the debt first before moving out.
Reality is that most students spend a decade or more paying off the debt from their education.

[Chulo]

My law school cost 25,000$ per semester -
i got a scholarship and only had to pay for books and living expenses

My seminary cost $2,500 per semester
and i have a work scholarship and all i have to pay for is still books and living expenses..


expensive.. yes.. scholarships.. yes

[deagle]

i think the problem is management. every year tuition and fees increase. Why ? b/c the school needs to validate the increases. they charge more and spend more. i know ppl who've been in school for many yrs and the changes are subtle. i'd like to see a college be "stable" and keep things with minimal changes. basically, just pay for upkeep for a yr. that would minimize costs for sure.

[canofbeans]

In the Netherlands if you are coming from high school, you automatically you get most of youre school payed and even a montly fee for youre upkeeps sakes. Idd say total costs for a year of university is around 2000,- €.
I cant say that the universities are #1 in ranking but they definatly are coming in high on the scoreboard for a country with minimal universities.

[Vinny_121_DDS]

My law school cost 25,000$ per semester -
i got a scholarship and only had to pay for books and living expenses

My seminary cost $2,500 per semester
and i have a work scholarship and all i have to pay for is still books and living expenses..


expensive.. yes.. scholarships.. yes

That's comparable to medical and dental schools here in canada. It's a good thing you got a scholarship because none of my friends got any. Books and rent and food all still cost a lot.

[James]

I've never really understood the US education system either. Person's abilities should dictate what schools he or she can go to, not how much money their parents have.

That statement makes it abundantly clear that you don't understand the U.S. Education system.

Acceptance to an American university is based on academic merit in secondary school, testing, and in some cases an interview. Family wealth has absolutely nothing to do with it.

[James]

basically, just pay for upkeep for a yr. that would minimize costs for sure.

Mmkay, do you think faculty and staff will volunteer to work for a year w/o pay?

[James]

I read before that after undergrad graduation, most students come back home and live with the parents to pay off the debt first before moving out.

Some, yes, I wouldn't say "most".

[Ezekiel25:17]

i did my generals class in a communty college and then transfer to a university. saves alot of money.

[California Joe]

My wife got her Masters from GW. The Navy paid for it though. heh.

Always thought Middlebury College in Vermont was one of the more pricey ones. Must be top 10.

Hell, the local High School here costs over 20 grand a year for tuition, room and board for dormitory students. There's a boatload of them from Hong Kong, Spain, Germany and various parts of the US...My kids go there free because we live here and there is no public high school just the Academy...

[kosse]

That statement makes it abundantly clear that you don't understand the U.S. Education system.

Acceptance to an American university is based on academic merit in secondary school, testing, and in some cases an interview. Family wealth has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Allright, anyone can get in..but can anyone afford it? What if you don't get the scholarship? A humongous loan or beat it?

[Power_serj]

You don't know what you're talking about.

There are scholarships, some based on merit, some based on minority status, some based on poverty. Also, almost anyone can get a student loan. No one is paying my school for me, yet I'm going anyway.

And yes, you read it right, minorities get scholarships, just for being minorities. Using money for a reason for not going to college is just an excuse. Universities accept students based on merits.

[JJC]

There was a show about rising cost of education in the U.S. and a lot of is blamed on all these lavish recreational activities that students like.

[hank]

I started at Ole Miss in the fall of 1989 and tuition was $667 per semester. I started law school in the fall of 2004 at the University of Tennessee and tuition was something like $3000 per semester. Point being, most of the schools that create these articles are in the northeastern US where everything is more expensive. There are still plenty of places where you can economically get a great "higher" education in the US.

hank

[IraGlacialis]

There was a show about rising cost of education in the U.S. and a lot of is blamed on all these lavish recreational activities that students like.
If recreational activities are to blamed, people better not like college athletics because that is one thing that should go onto the chopping block (not that I care) because it is not conductive to academics. Next things that should go are recreational centers (not conductive to academics either) even though people are compaining about obesity.
Hell, why don't we make all students like ****ing robots?
Many facilities aren't that lavish (well, at least not the ones here) and students are human beings too. There needs to be an outlet.

Besides I think you can get a good public education here in the midwest at the same level as a private in the east coast at the fraction of the cost. a lot of it is is just prestige on the private schools part.

[JJC]

I started at Ole Miss in the fall of 1989 and tuition was $667 per semester. I started law school in the fall of 2004 at the University of Tennessee and tuition was something like $3000 per semester. Point being, most of the schools that create these articles are in the northeastern US where everything is more expensive. There are still plenty of places where you can economically get a great "higher" education in the US.

hank

You're right there are cheaper routs with public universities. But $3000 a semester in law school is extremely cheap. CUNY Law tuition is like $7,400. There were times when people looked down on CUNY Law but it has become so competitive these days, it's becoming just as hard to get into as Fordham or St. Johns.

[hank]

Most of the public law schools in the Southeast are that way. Their mandate is to educate lawyers for the state only. So they graduate relatively few students and many or even most stay in state. UT graduates bw 150 and 160 a year and never more than 165. UGA is relatively small. Ole Miss is even smaller.

Not the same mandate for most law schools in the northeast, even the state ones. Schools up there tend to be larger.

hank

[Moledet]

You don't know what you're talking about.

There are scholarships, some based on merit, some based on minority status, some based on poverty. Also, almost anyone can get a student loan. No one is paying my school for me, yet I'm going anyway.

And yes, you read it right, minorities get scholarships, just for being minorities. Using money for a reason for not going to college is just an excuse. Universities accept students based on merits.
There are scholarships and student loans everywhere, based on all you've written and more (yes, even minorities), though the price these who get no scholarship pay is a lot lower. But our universities don't look as fancy as yours.

P.S. when the government tries to raise the fees here the students go to the streets and stop all studies.

[Aerosoul]

Does graduating from princeton or harvard get you a higher salary?
Actually, it pretty much does mean that.

Different universities are known for having different strengths in particular academic departments. In the US, Harvard is one of the Ivy League schools, which are considered the best educational institutions in the country. Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Penn, etc.

Harvard Law School is considered the premier law school in the country. "Harvard Law" has just become a kind of proverbial phrase. About 12% of applicants are admitted to it.

Getting an education from one of these schools (mind you, Ivy League aren't the only good schools in the country), leads to working in the top fields of employment. Be it law, medical, business, whatever. These people know their stuff and thus are sought after as the top candidates for big jobs that have, or lead to, big paychecks.

[JJC]

Aero did you have to remind of that fact, I'm depressed about college life as is. :roll: p-)

[Mr.K]

Expensive university means a possibility of building a proper network of people that will lead you to these top fields of employment. The price tag is here to separate the elite from the average joes.

[szr]

Expensive university means a possibility of building a proper network of people that will lead you to these top fields of employment. The price tag is here to separate the elite from the average joes.
I have to agree, here. At least as far as undergraduate studies go, the true power of an Ivy League degree, aside from the instant name recognition of the school on the doploma, is the networking that goes on at those schools. You can get as good an education or better from any number of private and public schools in the US. Some of the State school systems are exceptional in terms of academics--California being the obvious one and a degree from a school like UC Berkeley can hold its own amongst the best. Michigan is also good and the SUNY system of New York is coming into its own as the "University of California" of the east coast. Ivy League graduate and postgraduate degrees are very powerful, though--much more so than an Ivy League undergraduate degree, in my opinion.

[maa3057]

i did my generals class in a communty college and then transfer to a university. saves alot of money.
Best thing to do. evar.

[James]

Allright, anyone can get in..but can anyone afford it? What if you don't get the scholarship? A humongous loan or beat it?

If a student is accepted for study at the university but can not afford to pay for it out of pocket there are a very wide variety of loans, grants and other types of financial aid available. This help is available from the Federal Government, State Governments, the school itself, and private institutions.

It is a pretty safe bet that if someone is accepted as a student, they will be able to go go to school. They might have a lot of debt at the end, but they will be able to attend.

The U.S. Government completely paid for the 2nd half of my BA (2 years of school) simply because I was a veteran. The GI Bill kicks ass.

[Vinny_121_DDS]

Getting an education from one of these schools (mind you, Ivy League aren't the only good schools in the country), leads to working in the top fields of employment. Be it law, medical, business, whatever. These people know their stuff and thus are sought after as the top candidates for big jobs that have, or lead to, big paychecks.

Well, if I can send my future kids to those top schools and hang out with the brightest students and profs at some extra cost, maybe I'll pay for it, and hopefully it will pay off.



Hell, the local High School here costs over 20 grand a year for tuition, room and board for dormitory students. There's a boatload of them from Hong Kong, Spain, Germany and various parts of the US...My kids go there free because we live here and there is no public high school just the Academy...

My cousin did that, and he's from HK. The argument was that they wanted him to speak and learn english. It actually backfired since he was really home sick and didn't learn much.

[W3s]

Allright, anyone can get in..but can anyone afford it? What if you don't get the scholarship? A humongous loan or beat it?

FAFSA student loans or private loans from lending institutions.

I did what Zeke did by doing the community college -> university route. I spent about 2 1/2 years in a community college and 3 1/2 years at 4 year institutions.

I will owe a lot of money when I finally graduate.

[California Joe]

If you are born in the town of Walden Vermont and have the grades you get a free ride at Dartmouth. Period. The founder of the college is from there.

[TallGuy]

I believe students pay about $760 per semester at the University of Iceland, the Government pays the rest. The semi-private University of Reykjavik is a bit more expensive; $2000 per semester....

[fingon]

I pay 35 euros per semester at the University of Oulu here in Finland. Still some have the guts to complain about the fee...:fork:

[Ezekiel25:17]

But I also got the GI Bill.

[schwarz]

Or its like WV, "hey well pay for your kids college with the money from slot machines". Gamble away your pay check to pay for college. Funny how their just realizing the state is going bankrupt because of it.:roll:

[khalifah]

i did my generals class in a communty college and then transfer to a university. saves alot of money.

I am doing that right now, saving more or less $3000 by taking my basics at a nearby community college then finishing whats left at the University.

Then again there is more to what/why colleges are the way they are.
I know a few friends who are attending UT in Austin and Texas AtM. They worked hard to get to those schools, but now they are paying the price with no financial aid, and (in my opinion, more importantly) no expirence away from home, (How to manage time,money,job,etc.). All they ever wanted was to go to these schools, I guess its an ego thing, thinking they are better because they went to "*****" university.

[Ezekiel25:17]

I am doing that right now, saving more or less $3000 by taking my basics at a nearby community college then finishing whats left at the University.

Then again there is more to what/why colleges are the way they are.
I know a few friends who are attending UT in Austin and Texas AtM. They worked hard to get to those schools, but now they are paying the price with no financial aid, and (in my opinion, more importantly) no expirence away from home, (How to manage time,money,job,etc.). All they ever wanted was to go to these schools, I guess its an ego thing, thinking they are better because they went to "*****" university.

Growing up here in Texas I was never into the Longhorn vs Aggie BS. Never had school spirit. Eva!

[szr]

Never had school spirit. Eva!
Amen, brother. I'm the antithesis of school pride/spirit. "Just give me my degree and let me get out of here" was my mindset in college.

[Calanen]

My law school cost 25,000$ per semester -
i got a scholarship and only had to pay for books and living expenses

My seminary cost $2,500 per semester
and i have a work scholarship and all i have to pay for is still books and living expenses..


expensive.. yes.. scholarships.. yes

I drove taxis at night to pay for law school. There were no scholarships, although, Australia is far cheaper than the US system, at least for locals.

They used to have a system where education was free. The problem was everyone started doing BS courses and it cost the government a bomb. Certain courses should remain free, and bs contemplating your navel stuff you should have to pay for, in my opinion...

[Basillicus]

I pay 35 euros per semester at the University of Oulu here in Finland. Still some have the guts to complain about the fee...:fork:

Oh noes, in Turku we have to pay 76€! I feel robbed! p-)

But yeah, those sound damn expensive. Though I guess wages for people with academic degree (especially from an expensive university) are a lot higher e.g. in the USA than here, and the taxes are definately lower, so paying the loans back is easier. In Finland an engineer with MSc has a start wage of about 3200€ a month, and the average is around 4500. Probably at least 40% of that go with taxes instantly, and also basically everything is more expensive here (due to additional taxes, difficult logistics etc.) except social stuff like healthcare. Paying a loan of 100-200k while maintaining reasonable standard of living would take forever. And I suppose engineers have a very high wage compared with other academic people, probably only medical doctors and economists make more. I think in USA similar wages are totally on a different scale, so taking a huge loan won't screw you for life so easily.

[Wall]

In Finland an engineer with MSc has a start wage of about 3200€ a month, and the average is around 4500. Probably at least 40% of that go with taxes instantly,
Yeah.. Finland isn't best place to live if we think money for example master of science. Of course studying is cheap, but you pay taxes a lot more than M.Sc in (example) USA.

Normal engineer doesn't make so well.

[fingon]

Yeah.. Finland isn't best place to live if we think money for example master of science. Of course studying is cheap, but you pay taxes a lot more than M.Sc in (example) USA.

Normal engineer doesn't make so well.

Well I guess here being part of the European Union does pay off. Learn english and you get proper salaries... I guess:roll:

[PsychoMantis]

i did my generals class in a communty college and then transfer to a university. saves alot of money.
Yuh,Me,my friends,and half the Highschool im going too are going to a local College as well. Bascially Cy-Fair is an extension to our HS.

[Ezekiel25:17]

Yuh,Me,my friends,and half the Highschool im going too are going to a local College as well. Bascially Cy-Fair is an extension to our HS.

Hahahahahaha. Same here. Tomball CC FTW

[PsychoMantis]

Hahahahahaha. Same here. Tomball CC FTW
Haha,Uh,wait what..whoses school made it to the semi finals in Region? CY RIDGE RAMS IN THA HOUSE! lol,j/k. :)

[MichaelF]

Value (in terms of how much you earn immediately after Graduation) depends on the Career you intend to pursue.

If you are (like me) a Mechanical Engineer, then one ABET-accredited program is as good as another. At the Undergraduate level, most prospective employers factor in the GPA and Interview more than the school rep. So, functionally, FSU or Ole Miss are as good as Harvard or MIT.

This changes at the Graduate (Masters and PhD) level, though, as MIT has vastly more in the way of research and field-leading studies than Ole Miss or Florida State. That's why you see a lot of CVs where the individual has their BSME from Florida, but their Masters from CalTech or Duke.

OTOH, if you want to be a Lawyer who's making $145k (instead of $45k) a year, 9 months after Graduation, it pays to go to Fordham's or Boston's Law Schools, versus Ole Miss Law. School rep (rather, the school having a spot in the top-25 of the USNews rankings) is pretty much everything, some firms not even talking to people who aren't Top-25 grads.


So, IMO, unless research is what you want to do, spending huge amounts for a private University, at the Undergraduate level, doesn't make much sense. Unless you're wealthy. I'm wealthy, but still went to a State University, at $100/credit.
Of course, I took a Commission and now I don't really use my Degree (Infantry Officer), so YMMV...

[Moledet]

You must have a masters degree to find work?

[Fiber]

My cousin got a scolarship at Rutgers. He was offered $20 000 a year to attend and hold two hours of lectures a week but declined the offer. He then got an offer for $30 000 a year and no lecturing which he accepted.

Going to school pays off!

[MichaelF]

You must have a masters degree to find work?

Nope, unless you're talking about Professional Degrees (MD, JD, etc).

However, once you actually go to the graduate level, it pays to go to a top school. An MBA from Harvard Business School carries more weight, professionally, than one from FSU.

[Vince S]

I don't wonder anymore why there are so many foreigners in Canadian universities... And then we have hippies (at least here in Qc) that cries and go on strike each year because the big bad capitalist government makes them pay 5000-7000$ per semester... boo ****ing hoo. And the funniest part, is that bars are always full of those supposedly "poor" dumbass hippie.

[sucker4gurls]

You must have a masters degree to find work?

It really depends on what field you are going into. I know a friend of my family was going to be a teacher, but she found out that it was incredibly hard to find a job without getting her masters degree. I suspect that with the growing number of people graduating from college that in the future it will be a great idea to have a masters just to find a job. In the past having a high school diploma was good enough to find a job, but now-a-days you couldn't find a job hardly anywhere with a high school diploma, they most all require a bachelors degree.

[muck]

$39,240, holy crap. I pay only 500€ per semester and am stil enrolled at one of the best German universities...

[sucker4gurls]

I am goin to a pretty cheap university here in the states, but for what I am studying it is a great value. It is one of the top Criminal Justice colleges in the nation and it has about a 95% placement rate after college. It costs about $11,000 a year to go here, however when I contract with the ROTC program here I won't need to pay for it, except in time to the Army. My sister's college is a whole other deal though, she has to pay about $40,000 a year all told. She is very smart though and is getting most of it covered by the university itself.

[Vinny_121_DDS]

You must have a masters degree to find work?

If you want to make decent salary in the biotech and chemical industry, it's a must. All they do is research and development, so it will be beneficial to have some research experience.

[MichaelF]

If you want to make decent salary in the biotech and chemical industry, it's a must. All they do is research and development, so it will be beneficial to have some research experience.

Correct.

Good rule of thumb: If you want to do research (or work in a research-intensive field, such as Life or Physical Sciences), a Masters is the minimum. That's why you see a lot of combined BS/MS 5-year programs for Molecular Biology or Biochemistry.

[MG 3]

Thanks for posting. I need to show this to my parents so they can get their minds of the US and agree on UK or Europe.

[MG 3]

$39,240, holy crap. I pay only 500€ per semester and am stil enrolled at one of the best German universities...

Thats good. Can you help me out with which german uni is good for business studies.

[Vinny_121_DDS]

IMO, what you know, how proficient you are in your subject of expertise is much much more important than where you study, and how much you spend in tuition. If schools in Finland have low tuition, and have a good, reputable curriculum, I'll send my future kids there.

[molly747]

It really depends on what field you are going into. I know a friend of my family was going to be a teacher, but she found out that it was incredibly hard to find a job without getting her masters degree. I suspect that with the growing number of people graduating from college that in the future it will be a great idea to have a masters just to find a job. In the past having a high school diploma was good enough to find a job, but now-a-days you couldn't find a job hardly anywhere with a high school diploma, they most all require a bachelors degree.

Yes, I discovered two years ago that an undergraduate degree (at a 4-year university) is this generation's high school diploma. Now, employers wants a Masters and/or a PhD--including post-graduate studies, like creative schools, specialized programs, etc.

[MG 3]

IMO, what you know, how proficient you are in your subject of expertise is much much more important than where you study, and how much you spend in tuition. If schools in Finland have low tuition, and have a good, reputable curriculum, I'll send my future kids there.

I have a cuz in finland. Apart from good studies they have some nice women up there.

[Moledet]

If you want to make decent salary in the biotech and chemical industry, it's a must. All they do is research and development, so it will be beneficial to have some research experience.
I didn't means things like Biology or Psychology, more like Engineering/Programming.

[MichaelF]

I didn't means things like Biology or Psychology, more like Engineering/Programming.

Then, yes, a Bachelor's degree (accredited by ABET, in the case of Engineering) will serve as a normal entry into that workforce. I had offers from Raytheon, LockMart and NASA.

Don't know about Programming.

[ViktorNavorski]

My sister hit the jackpot in financial aid when she enrolled at UW...$female, minority, low income family$ Federal and state grants pretty much covered the whole tuition, the scholarships was pretty much extra spending money (an unfairly lot of it).

[dedbunniez]

I am a white male whose parents made 80+ a year. I was essentially blacklisted from scholarships, and financial aid will only give me enough to fund my school. Not enough for living expenses. I work about 30 hours a week at the moment and go to school full time. It sucks.

[Vinny_121_DDS]

Then, yes, a Bachelor's degree (accredited by ABET, in the case of Engineering) will serve as a normal entry into that workforce. I had offers from Raytheon, LockMart and NASA.

Don't know about Programming.

Of course, engineering at a bachelor level is fine, masters is not bad though. My dad who's a software engineer says a Phd may be too over qualified for the job, but can be hired if the skill set is right at Nortel.

IMO, if you want to make money, create a platform on the internet like Myspace, Facebook, Yahoo, Google. You'll make a lot of money that way if you can generate enough traffic. In terms of gaming software, I don't know what companies like Activision is looking for.

[DaGreatRV]

I pay about 130euros a month, it's about 1/3 more than I payed in 2006-2007. :-(

But then to concider that you gotto buy books (500euro), laptop (1100euro), electronic equipment (200euro). It's damn expensive!!! :fork:

[Moledet]

I pay 8500NIS (2300$), but I get it all back from the IDF.
There's no need for books, either we download from the internet or scan it in the library and post it on our forum.

[IraGlacialis]

Books are the biggest ripoff when in college.

Besides getting a high score on placement exams such as the ACT (which automatically gets you $2000 here), I found that it helped that I was an Eagle Scout when getting scholarships and getting into school.

[W3s]

Books are the biggest ripoff when in college.

Yup.

I had a the newer Principles of Marketing textbook. My friend had the previous edition. Both were practically the same in content with a few chapters re-arranged. Even the cover art was similar.

Yet he paid $40 for his and I paid $160+ for mine.

[dedbunniez]

Yup.

I had a the newer Principles of Marketing textbook. My friend had the previous edition. Both were practically the same in content with a few chapters re-arranged. Even the cover art was similar.

Yet he paid $40 for his and I paid $160+ for mine.

Half.com is your friend. And if you aren\'t doing assignments out of the book, unless the industry is updating, then you should be fine with older editions. I save about 175 dollars because I got an older edition of a text book.

[MichaelF]

Of course, engineering at a bachelor level is fine, masters is not bad though. My dad who's a software engineer says a Phd may be too over qualified for the job, but can be hired if the skill set is right at Nortel.
.

Lots of the guys who head back to school to get their Engineering MS are wanting to be Project Leads or Supervisors. Ditto with guys studying for their Professional Engineer certification.

The balance is made up of guys who are going into specialist research. One of my old classmates is being sent by the Army (under the Advanced Civil Schooling program) to get his Masters (Aerospace E) specializing in Fluid Dynamics as it relates to airflow across helicopter rotor blades.
Another is off to study Maintenance Systems at Georgia Tech, for the Navy.

The bulk of Engineers operate with only their Bachelors, for at least the early part of their careers.

[Ezekiel25:17]

almost all of the job interview i been to asked me about my time in usmc rather then my schooling. guess i was lucky.

[W3s]

almost all of the job interview i been to asked me about my time in usmc rather then my schooling. guess i was lucky.

What sort of industry do you work in, Zeke?

[khalifah]

[quote=IraGlacialis;3011532]Books are the biggest ripoff when in college.
quote]


Quoted for truth, it takes about six paychecks to cover all my books every semester.:cantbeli:

What I couldnt belive was in my physics class, a USED college physics book that was a year old, paperback and had roughly 450 pages in it at the price of $130!!!

Plus TAX!!!:fork:

[Ezekiel25:17]

What sort of industry do you work in, Zeke?

construction.

[Vinny_121_DDS]

Books are the biggest ripoff when in college.

Besides getting a high score on placement exams such as the ACT (which automatically gets you $2000 here), I found that it helped that I was an Eagle Scout when getting scholarships and getting into school.

X2. the worst is when a the publisher decides to make a new edition, change the problems around a little, but the basics are still the same, and the prof makes it mandatory to buy at 150 a pop.

The next biggest ripoff is the food on campus. They contract it out to companies like subway, pizza pizza, harvey's, and other big companies where they jack up the price just to pay the profit percentage back to the university. Who gets the short end of the stick of high fat, processed foods? The students.

[Basillicus]

almost all of the job interview i been to asked me about my time in usmc rather then my schooling. guess i was lucky.

The funny thing in Finland is that it is ILLEGAL for the interviewer to ask if you have done your military service or not. That's because it would be "unfair" for those who go to civil service or jail instead. Unbelievable... :roll:

[Minardiau]

Australian Universities are more expensive then that.

[JQ24]

I pay about $1300 a semester at my university since it is the only university in my small town. I don't have to pay any rent or dorm fees since I'm still staying with my folks until I attain my degree which should be at the end of spring this year.

I second the post about the books. They're such a damn rip off. I bought about $300+ worth of books last semester and when I sold it back at the end of the term the school wouldn't even take some of them because a "new" edition was going to be used the following semester. I only got $18 total from the ones I was able to sell back. Bastards!

[T3ngu]

Australian Universities are more expensive then that.

Bond university comes to mind.

B.Bus $75,000 australian plus extras i.e. accom, books.
B Law $100,000
B Medicine $54k year one, $250,000 total .

Plus $4k minimum per semester for accom and meals.

My undergraduate degree cost me around $10,000 when i finished in 1997. The second one was free thanks to a scholarship and working full time in the field i was studying.

My third one, well lets see how much that will cost. $15,000 minimum, but I have to time things just right.

[Moledet]

X2. the worst is when a the publisher decides to make a new edition, change the problems around a little, but the basics are still the same, and the prof makes it mandatory to buy at 150 a pop.

The next biggest ripoff is the food on campus. They contract it out to companies like subway, pizza pizza, harvey's, and other big companies where they jack up the price just to pay the profit percentage back to the university. Who gets the short end of the stick of high fat, processed foods? The students.
You must have a weak students union, the prices in the university here aren't low but not higher than in any other place and in some cases (like cafe) lower than other places.

Basillicus, same thing here.

[domokun]

The funny thing in Finland is that it is ILLEGAL for the interviewer to ask if you have done your military service or not. That's because it would be "unfair" for those who go to civil service or jail instead. Unbelievable... :roll:

And I can't remember single job interview where that haven't been asked. God dammit i feel violated. xD

Back to main topic, i hate that finnish taxpayers have to pay for education of forgeiners from other EU countries, they too have free education here.

[Minardiau]

The funny thing in Finland is that it is ILLEGAL for the interviewer to ask if you have done your military service or not. That's because it would be "unfair" for those who go to civil service or jail instead. Unbelievable... :roll:

Why is it unbelievable?

Civil service is just as if not in some cases more important to a nation then military service can ever hope to be.

[molly747]

Why is it unbelievable?

Civil service is just as if not in some cases more important to a nation then military service can ever hope to be.

Waiting for it.... waiting for it...