Which College-and Which Major Will Make you the Richest- Meg Mickelsen

Obviously as we all approach the cusp of adulthood, that crucial 12 months before many of us will leave home, senior year, we begin to wonder where we will leave to.  To help us make this life-altering decision PayScale released tons of data about what colleges give the biggest bang for your buck.  

The top three schools with the highest earning graduates are Harvey Mudd College, MIT, and Caltech, but there are two different ways to look at what schools make one richest.  The top three schools with the best dollar-for-dollar investment prices are University of Virginia, Georgia Tech, and Harvard.  The most valuable degree?  Thats right, you guessed it, Computer Science.  

So what does all this data mean and why is it so predictable? In part it is predictable, because the most famous and prestigious schools attract the best and brightest students, who go out and earn the most money.  Meaning, that this data does not necessarily reflect the value of education that these schools offer.  I would be really impressed if a school I had never heard of made this list, because that would prove that it isn't simply prestige that is making it a great school.  Furthermore, an arts degree is considerably less valuable at any of these top schools than an Computer Science or Economics degree.  (also, side note, the mindless pursuit of wealth does not lead to happiness) So why even look at this list?  I recommend scanning PayScales lists and searching for schools you are interested in not because you should try to get into whatever school will make you the most money, but because colleges are businesses that are often starved for tuition money and will trick you into taking on student loan debt that is nearly impossible to pay off.  I want to go to art school, but if I know that the money I might reasonably make with an arts degree will never allow me to pay of my student loan debt, then I need to look for a different arts school.  These lists are important because America's higher education system is most often a trap, but it doesn't have to be. With a degree, one is saddled with debt and can only get a low paying job, and without a degree one cannot find a job at all.  Students should look at this list not to get rich, just to get a fair deal.  Be smart, artists.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/03/which-college-and-which-major-will-make-you-richest/359628/

http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2014