Best colleges for the price
As we start wrapping up the current school year, rising seniors will look forward to (or put off) filling out college applications this fall. And while choosing the right education has layers and layers of variables, Bloomberg’s Best Colleges for Return on Investment is, at the very least, thought-provoking.
The best return on investment for Georgia? Georgia Tech, at $79,140 total cost for in-state education and $157,600 out-of-state.
Bear in mind that this article focuses on how much money a graduate will make for the amount spent. It doesn’t take into account where family allegiances lie, what your family can actually afford or which colleges are geographically desirable for your student.
It also means you might not see colleges mentioned with excellent degrees in traditionally lower-paying professions. If you’re a follow-your-passion kind of person, the (financial) return on investment won’t mean much to you.
Which schools do you think have the best ROI? What are the important factors in your student’s college decision?
– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter
DealSwarm: Today’s deal | Email alerts
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
172 comments Add your comment
No Artificial Flavors
April 13th, 2011
12:27 pm
NGCSU! everyone I know that went there with me or otherwise has become at least an upper middle class citizen or outstanding military officer.
Cassie
April 13th, 2011
12:28 pm
Bryan G., if by “hot” you mean women with fake boobs and long bleached blond hair….then no, you’re not going to find any of those people at Georgia Tech.
If by “hot” however you mean passionate, hardworking, intelligent girls with pretty faces who are better than you are at math – there yes, there are many women like this at Tech. Maybe you could discuss calculus homework with them?
K
April 13th, 2011
12:28 pm
The perks of being a Tech grad pay off almost immediately. Nice salary, job security, loads of respect from co-workers, and the laughs that come from reading the hateful comments. I’m living good
GT mom
April 13th, 2011
12:31 pm
Both of my daughters are extremely intelligent and extremely pretty. I am more grateful for the intelligent part.
ReturnOnInvestment
April 13th, 2011
12:31 pm
Georgia Tech has an outstanding library and world-class faculty. The campus continually innovates by leveraging student creativity and ideas. It is a very challenging workload but the pay off is that a GT degree is respected worldwide. I love it here!
ManUp...
April 13th, 2011
12:32 pm
To me it’s as simple as this – if you’re a hard worker then Tech will harness that more efficiently than other names you could put on your resume.
My caveat – BE SOCIAL at Tech! It will add soft skills to your knowledge, and that will maximize your earning potential. Good rule at any school, but at Tech it’s crucial.
Ramblin' Jacket
April 13th, 2011
12:34 pm
Seriously, we are lucky that the State of Georgia has all the fine colleges and universities that you have listed. No school fits everyone’s needs, and all these schools have a lot to offer. Lists like this are subjective. That said, my GT degree has been very good to me and my Tech buddies.
mhozey
April 13th, 2011
12:34 pm
Lets be honest, there are 3 great schools in GA. GT, UGA, and Emory. I graduated from a very GOOD school (state) last year. The good thing about State is that it is located in the city and the buisiness program is widely recognized within Atlanta. But going to war, and that’s what it is when you’re looking for a job nowadays, it certainly helps to have a degree from the top 3.
All of these other schools saying what about me and this school blah blah blah is silly. The reason you go to one of the other schools is because you could not get into one of the top 3. No ones first choice is to be stuck in Carrolton for 4 to 5 years. Yikes!
TECH4EVER
April 13th, 2011
12:34 pm
K, they claim not to hate us, they claim we are not worth their time and consideration, they claim there is no rivalry. YET, they jump at every GT article, and can’t live without calling us names. No, it’s not hating….it IS ENVY!!
bobcat grad
April 13th, 2011
12:34 pm
Georgia College and State University (GCSU) in Milledgeville was the best for my money. Great education, great college town, great greek life, etc. etc.
Hornet
April 13th, 2011
12:34 pm
GT Mom: I take it you flunked out of GA Tech? SPSU (rather) does have some tech grads, but those that failed redundant gen ed classes because they got caught up in extra curricular activities (case in point: I went there and know the 5 or so examples, not that many).
Tech is not a perfect school (case in point: The Olympic Village that GSU had for dorms was sinking. It was built by a Tech architecture grad and eventually thrown back at Tech to keep…) Only SPSU has a fully accredited undergrad architecture program in the state, with high marks and national leadership in AIAS (2009’s president of the association was a recent SPSU arch grad).
Don’t hate on the redheaded step-child. They will be your child’s manager because the “theory” education s/he gets will only allow him’her to ponder and research, not apply. SPSU has applied academic structures. BIG difference.
spider
April 13th, 2011
12:39 pm
yes but gt cant beat UGA in athletics very often
Blazer
April 13th, 2011
12:39 pm
VSU, Valdosta State…nice campus environment, good value.
Mercer
April 13th, 2011
12:39 pm
@Mhozey you just opened up a can of worms… I know plenty of people who want to go to West Georgia as a first choice (Yuck) I had no interest in going to UGA(Redneck party school) GT(I have no interest in science or math) and Emory (just because) So Just don’t assume people apply to the top 3 and not get in….. I’m just saying….
GTMBA
April 13th, 2011
12:41 pm
If anyone bothered to check out the list, Tech is 2nd behind Cal Berkeley for public schools. I found Emory at # 101 overall. I got too bored trying to find UGag mixed in with all the directional and technical colleges way down the list.
mhozey
April 13th, 2011
12:44 pm
UGA is not a redneck party school. It is a frat boy haven however. I hate UGA with every fiber in my body (Dad graduated from Tech in the 80’s and brain washed me to hate UGA form birth) But I can admit UGA is a great school and rednecks cant get into UGA
North Ave Killer Beez
April 13th, 2011
12:44 pm
LOL…. Funny how UGA fans act like GT hates them so bad, and they hardly notice GT at all, yet they fill up the blogs daily. I would say it’s pretty much mutual. Just because we GT one-upped you today… oh and spanked you in beezball you want to act like it’s no biggie.
TomGoTech
April 13th, 2011
12:44 pm
What does a UGA student call a Ga Tech graduate after college?
“Boss”
FAN
April 13th, 2011
12:47 pm
The maturity level of some people is staggering. Grow up people. The whole UGA vs GT rivalry on who’s better at what is getting old. Both are good schools.
ManUp...
April 13th, 2011
12:47 pm
Hornet, SPSU does not have the only fully accredited architecture program in the state. The GT College of Architecture has been around since 1908 and was founded by a Harvard grad. Your story on the North Ave Apartments is only partially correct. SPSU owes its existence to Tech anyway, but realistically it is no one’s first choice. There are no academic rankings associated with it that I’ve ever heard of. They just chant the mantra “same education as GT for less money”…but nevermind that the “engineering” programs are just non-theory technician degrees. It’s a backup school for about 3-5 thousand kids that want to stay in Marietta. I worked there for a few years while at GT and it was just depressing. I really think anyone at SPSU needs to work hard and transfer to Tech ASAP. Yes, even the architecture students. AIAS, aside, there’s more than just your major to learn at a big university (and Tech is big enoug at 20k+). Go to Tech.
Uga faqs
April 13th, 2011
12:48 pm
Most uga “fans” have never attended the “University.” Pay no mind to the country bunkin who is dissing GT, from the county library computer.
The Imaginary Engineer
April 13th, 2011
12:48 pm
Don’t go to Tech unless you are positive you want to be an engineer. If you’re not sure, spend a year a clayton, kennesaw, spsu, state, or what have you to figure it out. Tech is not a “figure it out” environment; you are better of having a plan of action from day one. Its not worth the pain. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Be better. . .
ManUp...
April 13th, 2011
12:50 pm
Yeah, the GT-UGA rivalry IS old…that’s the point! We call it tradition. “Clean, Old Fashioned Hate” as they say: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean,_Old-Fashioned_Hate
Bored of Regents
April 13th, 2011
12:51 pm
If you went to Kennesaw or Georgia southern, just stop and ask yourself why you even bothered to go to college. I mean, unless you are a teacher (pathetic in GA) or you want to make 20% more than your co-workers without degrees, it really is pointless.
Duke Grad
April 13th, 2011
12:52 pm
If my kids can’t go to my alma matter, then they’ll most likely go to a college or university in NC. The out-of-state tuition will be well worth it. No GA college is worth it IMO!
ManUp...
April 13th, 2011
12:52 pm
Imaginary Engineer, Tech has way more than engineering. Management, Econ, International Affairs, Pub Policy, Pre-Law, Pre-Med, Sciences, Architecture, Design, the list goes on…I’m not an engineer but went into consulting at a technological business consulting firm. The ones in Atlanta love Tech.
Hornet
April 13th, 2011
12:53 pm
ManUp: You cannot get your license with a BArch form Tech, you have to complete your master’s. Only SPSU has had the complete 5-year track BArch. Tech makes you come back from another two years. SPSU sends you out the door and to work ASAP.
SPSU isn’t like it was when it was “Southern Tech”. They do have a lot of Engineering Technology programs, but they also have full engineering degrees. They are not a two-year division of GA Tech anymore, they are a 4-year university branched out on their own since MTV hit the airwaves (ironic? Hahahahaha).
Tech is okay. But SPSU isn’t the butt wart former tech staff like to say it WAS.
BuckheadBill
April 13th, 2011
12:54 pm
There is no doubt, YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE with the best college president in the world. That would be Cathy (Cathy with a “C”) Cox. I graduated from YHC and my family was so poor that the Native Americans brought us stuff.
ManUp...
April 13th, 2011
12:55 pm
Duke grad, Tech is the #7 public university in the country, Duke might look down on us, but for what we have we’re better even than Duke in those fields. UNC can snicker at us for not having English or something, but don’t even mention NCSU, Wake or ECU in the same brethe as Tech.
Ratchet
April 13th, 2011
12:55 pm
“$157,600 out-of-state.”
:-O
So, unless this kid has an arsenal of scholarship $$/trustfund, they will be more than half a million $$ in debt IF they finish in 4 years. No “return” is that sweet unless you’re guaranteed a large MegaMillions winning ticket with said degree.
Bob
April 13th, 2011
12:55 pm
This list is about as boogus as it comes. Southern Poly is about 1/2 the cost of GT and grads earn equal the pay. SPTU students use the same books as GT students GT mom. Check it out and then get back to us. SPTU has the same course work as those that graduated from Tech starting in the late 60’s. President of AGL is a SPTU grad ans SHE has tons of GT grads working for HER. You GT people are just mad that after paying all that money that your kids get less job offers than SPTU kids do. Face the fact
Martin
April 13th, 2011
12:55 pm
This just sounds like a pissing contest between GT & UGA fans (aka those that have never set foot on a college campus except for the occiasional game).
Vince
April 13th, 2011
12:57 pm
Well this list figures income against cost. That would eliminate schools such as Emory or Agnes Scott. The study doesn’t say that a Tech degree is the BEST you can get in Georgia. It says it is the cheapest for what you get.
jimmyjohn
April 13th, 2011
12:57 pm
I went to UGA, what does ROI mean?
GT Business Grad
April 13th, 2011
12:58 pm
So I graduated with a business degree from GT and now out-earn both my engineer AND UGA counterparts to the tune of about 30%. GT gave me enough scholarships to actually cut me a check every semester. So yeah…. bargain!
Very happy about my GT degree. GO JACKETS!!
Hey Ratchet
April 13th, 2011
1:00 pm
Bless your heart. That $150K is for all 4 years. Someone must have a math degree from UGA. No one pays half a mil for a college degree these days.
Duke Grad
April 13th, 2011
1:02 pm
“but don’t even mention NCSU, Wake or ECU in the same brethe as Tech.”
I know quite a few ECU grads that have made BIG bucks. NCSU produces better engineers than GT and better vets than UGA. Sorry, NC colleges & universities are far, far superior to GA schools!
mike
April 13th, 2011
1:02 pm
You tech goobers really need to stop all the hate on the other schools. You have a nice program there but your school is not all that. Your academics are good but your sports programs are never that great. I have grown tired of hearing how great tech is over the years. Each school has its positive and negative points.
Fraud Alert
April 13th, 2011
1:06 pm
… UNC can snicker at us for not having English or something, but don’t even mention NCSU, Wake or ECU in the same brethe as Tech.
not having English or something? WTH is that suppose to mean?
in the same breath?
OMG – please stop making Georgia institutions look so stupid!
With the nookie.
April 13th, 2011
1:06 pm
Go to tech if you want to get an education and don’t want to get laid.
Redneck School
April 13th, 2011
1:07 pm
That Billy Payne guy sure looked dumb in that green coat on TV last weekend. Probably because he went to UGA. Give me a break. The “redneck school” stigma is way outdated.
Uga faqs
April 13th, 2011
1:08 pm
See for example mike… It isnt even a discussion about athletics, but you are so uptight and hate your life, this is the first thing you go to. Really?
David A. Staples
April 13th, 2011
1:09 pm
I find it very ironic that someone is making fun of nerds by posting on an Internet blog.
Tosh.No
April 13th, 2011
1:10 pm
It’s always funny to hear some of these “tech grads” try to talk down on other schools when pretty much every one of them that posts a comment can not even use correct grammer. Do they not teach that at your fine institution? Its laughable that’s for sure.
Ogre
April 13th, 2011
1:11 pm
NERDS!
KSU Grad
April 13th, 2011
1:12 pm
Kennesaw is am excellent school. The students there actually want an education.
Yeah, right
April 13th, 2011
1:14 pm
Cassie
April 13th, 2011
12:28 pm
I guess in tech math “many” = 3
LOL
April 13th, 2011
1:15 pm
Here’s a joke, what does everyone in this country call Georgia Tech Grads?
Virgins for life.
Catherine
April 13th, 2011
1:15 pm
Do the rankings include graduate school admission rates? It’s a lot easier to get into graduate school if you do your undergraduate at a “big name” institution (unfortunate but true).
Catherine
April 13th, 2011
1:16 pm
By the way, uh, Tosh, before you come down on someone else’s GRAMMAR, you may wish to use a spell checker….