Study: Georgia Tech, UGA offer best salary returns on tuition
Tech cheerleaders ride the Rambling Wreck onto Grant Field (Associated Press)
Georgia Tech offers “the best academic deal in America” when it comes to which colleges and universities help graduates reel in the biggest paychecks considering the tuition they had to fork over, according to to SmartMoney.
In fact, Georgia has two schools in the Top 5: The University of Georgia ranks No. 4, behind Tech, the University of Florida (2) and the University of Texas at Austin (3). (See complete table here – pdf). From SmartMoney:
Recent Georgia Tech grads earn $59,000, or a stellar 67% of what they paid in tuition. Grads in their 30s average $102,000 a year, more than three times their 1990s tuition tab.
President G.P. Peterson credits the focus of virtually all Tech students on science-oriented disciplines, including engineering and computer and software design, and Tech’s “fortunate position” of being able to get tuition subsidies from the state thanks to the HOPE scholarship. It also helps that the hottest careers are currently in the technology industry.
SmartMoney, with the help of Seattle-based compensation data company PayScale, relied on 35 million salary profiles to come up with median pay figures for two groups of alumni at each of the Top 50 most expensive schools on the list. One group was the Class of 2009 and the other was the Class of 1997, who were now getting mid-career salaries.
The median salary was divided by total tuition and fees for each of the four-year periods. The result was converted to a percentage figure, and the outcome was a measure of return on investment, or a “Payback Score”.
Tech’s Class of 2009, who paid $87,810 for four years of college, had a median salary of $59,000 today. The Class of 1997, who paid $30,249 for four years of college, had a median salary of $102,000 today.
Georgia’s Class of 2009, whose members paid $77,957 for four years of college, have a median salary of $41,100 today. The Class of 1997, whose members paid $27,865 for four years of college, have a median salary of $79,200.
The thousands more in tuition paid by private college school graduates also didn’t translate into a much higher salary return when compared with the pay public college graduates were seeing. The study found the average salary for the public college Class of 2009 was $47,790, compared with $46,024 for their private liberal arts counterparts. The salary was $87,257 for the public college Class of 1997, compared with $91,019 for their private school counterparts. From SmartMoney:
By their mid-30s, alumni of the 21 private liberal-arts schools we surveyed are pulling down only about 4% more than their public school peers, despite having spent almost twice as much on tuition (assuming they paid the sticker price).
What kind of return are you getting on your college investment as you glance at your paycheck?
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164 comments Add your comment
Steve
September 25th, 2012
7:14 pm
UGA is #4 in the country? But I thought they were such a “stupid” school? Moron Tech fans.
Yep, engineering & science grads ...
September 25th, 2012
7:17 pm
…make considerably more than business, journalism and education majors…
not stupid, easy
September 25th, 2012
7:18 pm
Steve, I can’t find anyone who would say UGA is a stupid school because that’s entirely not true. What makes UGA “stupid” is the school selling out their academic integrity to get the dumbest, most neanderthal athletes they can find and walk them through a Basket Weaving major. However i can’t blame them because thats the status quo in the SEC.
Hey Troll
September 25th, 2012
7:22 pm
Hey Stupid Steve…Study doesn’t take into account private schools. IVY leagues schools and so forth.
Also, do the math idiot. GT grads earn 1/3 more than UGA grads.
Critical Reading is Fundamental
September 25th, 2012
7:24 pm
“UGA is #4 in the country?”
No, they are fourth out of the mere 50 schools considered without regard for the net cost of attendance after financial aid.
godawg
September 25th, 2012
7:24 pm
I graduated in 1983 from UGA and paid about $3,500 in tution for four years….
Proud UGA Grad
September 25th, 2012
7:25 pm
I’m living proof that a UGA degree pays off. I’ll bet that more top executives who are UGA grads earn more than top executives who are Tech grads because Tech grads are narrowly focused and can’t see the whole picture. Their degrees won’t carry them as far as UGA grads’ degrees for the top tiers. Let’s get some statistics on that Tech and UGA. Go Dawgs, and How ‘Bout Them Dawgs!
Confused
September 25th, 2012
7:26 pm
Three of my children’s friends (good friends) applied to Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia last year. All were in state students. All three were accepted to Tech, only one was accepted to UGA.
YoMama
September 25th, 2012
7:33 pm
UGA offers a great education in a wide variety of diciplines. GT is a great institution, offering a more limited curriculum. Artists and musicians, as much as engineers and lawyers, add to the quality of life, as well as to the social and ecomonic development, of our state. All Georgians should be very happy to have two great institutions like UGA and GT. So save your sophomoric banter for the athletic field and savor the great opportunities while they last.
OldTimer
September 25th, 2012
7:34 pm
I’m a two time Georgia Tech drop out and I’m pulling 135.
Oh'man
September 25th, 2012
7:34 pm
I went to both schools and there is a big difference in academics standards. Tech is heavily invested in engineering and technology, which is in high demand right now. UGA, on the other hand, focuses evenly across each study, but they do also invest heavily on Biology and Business. Between the two Tech is definitely more academic orientated, but both are still great schools.
Critical Reading is Fundamental, maybe, but ...
September 25th, 2012
7:35 pm
…comprehension is not your strong suit – “The thousands more in tuition paid by private college school graduates also didn’t translate into a much higher salary return when compared with the pay public college graduates were seeing. The study found the average salary for the public college Class of 2009 was $47,790, compared with $46,024 for their private liberal arts counterparts. The salary was $87,257 for the public college Class of 1997, compared with $91,019 for their private school counterparts. From SmartMoney:
By their mid-30s, alumni of the 21 private liberal-arts schools we surveyed are pulling down only about 4% more than their public school peers, despite having spent almost twice as much on tuition (assuming they paid the sticker price).
Despite your "broadness" you still cant do math...
September 25th, 2012
7:35 pm
To the “Proud ” UGA Grad… clearly there SHOULD be more, at least 3 times more UGA graduated execs, than Tech Grads, because, UGA graduates 3 times more than Tech, but I’ll be willing to bet that there is not 3 times more. Duhh…. You are wrong, Tech just received a huge 50 Million grant from a very broad minded donor Scheller, on top of the countless very broad minded previous donors Klaus, no doubt that UGA degree pays off… but the math is crystal clear that the TECH degree pays MORE.
Stumpknocker
September 25th, 2012
7:35 pm
Yeah, sure you are (living proof) Proad UGA Grad,……….and talk about being narrow focused and narrow minded……….when you open your mouth, you say it all.
@ Confused
September 25th, 2012
7:36 pm
It’s called “Tufts Syndrome.” If a college is confident an applicant will get into and attend a better school, they’ll reject them to protect their yield.
Oh'man
September 25th, 2012
7:36 pm
@YoMama Couldn’t have said it any better : ) . And yo mama so fat when she jumped in the air she got stuck.
2012 GT Grad
September 25th, 2012
7:40 pm
Many grads from both schools are having trouble finding employment after graduation right now. Luckily, I have been able to find a good paying job in my field due to some of the work experience I gained during college. Many kids think just attending these schools will set them up for success and that is not true at all. UGA grads do fine and so do Tech grads ultimately. We are all screwed if this economy does not turn around.
Tufts Syndrome?...
September 25th, 2012
7:42 pm
… what a crock – you, sir or madam, have no sense of what goes into the admission process –
So, please follow the rule – “when in doubt please keep quiet and be thought dumb rather than pontificate and remove all doubt”…
Critical Reading is Fundamental
September 25th, 2012
7:43 pm
“By their mid-30s, alumni of the 21 private liberal-arts schools we surveyed are pulling down only about 4% more than their public school peers, despite having spent almost twice as much on tuition (assuming they paid the sticker price).”
What part of “assuming they paid the sticker price” don’t you understand? At Harvard, for example, 70 percent of students receive some form of grant-based (i.e., not loans) aid. This is standard at most selective private schools with $1 billion-plus endowments.
Dawg1
September 25th, 2012
7:44 pm
Yomama got it right.
Congrats to both schools.
You clowns should for once be proud of both schools…
bucket
September 25th, 2012
7:47 pm
Why can’t we just be thankful that this survey paints both GT and UGA in a very positive light as opposed to resorting to the juvenile arguments that are made everyday on these blogs? GT and UGA are both very fine schools.
Critical Reading is Fundamental, maybe, but ...
September 25th, 2012
7:48 pm
…and it is doubtful any ot thje Ivy League schools were included in that small (21) sample – however, even if they were, usually the majority of “grants” involves work study, so, in essence, those kids
ARE paying close to sticker price – only the TRULY needy, who are also brilliant, get the “actual” free money – and we all know that over 90% of Ivy League schools admit mostly those whose parents CAN afford the huge tuition costs “out of pocket”…
Numbers
September 25th, 2012
7:49 pm
Tufts syndrome or not, just look at the average tests scores and GPA numbers. Nuff said.
Confused
September 25th, 2012
7:49 pm
@ @ Confused
Yield protection
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Tufts syndrome)
“Yield protection is an alleged admissions practice where a university or academic institution rejects or wait-lists highly qualified students on the grounds that such students are bound to be accepted by more prestigious universities or programs. However, alternate theories regard the yield protection as a myth propagated by college students who failed to gain admission to elite universities. Yield rate refers to the proportion of students who matriculate (i.e. accept an admissions offer and attend the college) after acceptance to a college.”
Words “alleged” and “theories” jump out to me.
FYI: None choose to attend Tech. Not saying this is a negative directed at Tech, they just have a limited (or should we say specialized) curriculum.
GFJacket
September 25th, 2012
7:49 pm
Both are good schools, and a bargain. UGA offers quite a few more degree programs than Tech. Some of those degree progams cater to the academically challenged so they can compete in the SEC. What is interesting is the size of both school’s endowments. Tech’s is about $1.6Billion. UGA’s is $571Million. Interesting when you consider that UGA is has over twice the number of alumni as Tech.
You are correct , GF Jacket... ...
September 25th, 2012
7:54 pm
…about the endowments of the two universities – but, Tech didn’t get to be called the “Joke by Coke” due only to its proximity to the Coca Cola headquarters – they got a lot of that endowment money from the Woodruff family, just as Emory did, but not UGA…
@confused
September 25th, 2012
8:01 pm
Tech is definitely easier to get into, but yet much more difficult to stay there – known for flunking out underclassmen!
Critical Reading is Fundamental
September 25th, 2012
8:08 pm
“it is doubtful any ot thje Ivy League schools were included in that small (21) sample.”
The sample includes 50 schools, and all eight Ivy League schools are represented.
“however, even if they were, usually the majority of ‘grants’ involves work study, so, in essence, those kids ARE paying close to sticker price.”
Please cite your source.
“we all know that over 90% of Ivy League schools admit mostly those whose parents CAN afford the huge tuition costs ‘out of pocket.’”
Only ignorant people “know” that. Aside from Harvard, 60 percent of Princeton, 57 percent of Yale, and 52 percent of Dartmouth students, for example, receive financial aid. Brown, at 44 percent, has the smallest percentage of financial-aid students among Ivy League schools.
Warhorse
September 25th, 2012
8:10 pm
UGA limping in behind Tech and Florida for academics. Sounds like a story repeated over the decades.
And for the last decade or so, UF has been the king of the hill in athletics.
There is no "A" academics at UGA
September 25th, 2012
8:30 pm
KJ
September 25th, 2012
8:43 pm
Warhorse, the only thing limping is in your pants. Top 4 is hardly limping, and you get the added bonus of not being around women with mustaches, or white trash north floridians like you.
Ambulance chasers R' us!
September 25th, 2012
8:43 pm
Funny how all the Tech people talk about selling out their academic integrity.
—- NEWS FLASH —-
The Tech football players average much further below the ‘mean’ of the general student population on SAT scores than UGA’s football team does!!!
I would think with such a highly touted school of engineering that you Tech fans would have a grasp of simple math.
And to cut you blowhards off at the pass.
Yes, GaTech has a higher average SAT for the student body which helps to cause the large discrepancy. The problem with your argument is that even though it is higher, the gap is larger even when perecentage based. This was all covered in an AJC article a few years ago, but as usual the AJC link is now dead.
Put simply, you can argue that UGA athletes and students score lower. Point taken. What you CANNOT argue is that UGA lower’s itself to get athletes, because GaTech lowers itself much more than UGA does.
Besides, we all know that Tech can’t count to four.
AppleCEO
September 25th, 2012
8:55 pm
So happy I graduated from AU and became the CEO of the wealthiest company of all time. Keep buying our products thuga grads! Tech is far superior to thuga in academics…….
Wrecker
September 25th, 2012
8:59 pm
Yes, please take 120 or so football players out of our 20k enrollment to make your point, Ambulance Chaser. In general, our athletes outside of the football program are some of the best students in the school.
And, AppleCEO...
September 25th, 2012
9:07 pm
congrats on being an AU grad who did well (with the help of that MBA from Duke) – somehow I think the Duke aspect of your academic resume helped more than the AU part – as we all kinow, AU is for all those who cannot get into UGA…
Proud UGA Grad
September 25th, 2012
9:11 pm
I’m a three time UGA grad, almost 50, and I’ll put my salary up against most Tech grads at my level any day. As time goes on, they do the work, and we are their bosses. It’s a fact.
Again, Critical Reading is Fundamental, maybe, but ... ...
September 25th, 2012
9:16 pm
…nowhere did I say that of the 90% that I quoted that they did NOT receive the financial aid, only that their parents could afford to send them there without the aid – they are quite bright, so they are taking advantage of what the schools have to offer, and they are using what is available.
And, you are correct that I did not read the data correctly about the 21 private schools cited – my bad…
GT Joe
September 25th, 2012
9:22 pm
Proud UGA Grad:
put your salary up against the Wal-Mart CEO (a GT grad). LOL. Owned.
GT Joe
September 25th, 2012
9:23 pm
YEs, UGA is harder to get into. there are a LOT of dummies in the world, looking for a school to go to.
Average SAT score of the 2011 class at GT: 1393/1600
At UGA? Don’t embarrass yourselves.
The Truth
September 25th, 2012
9:23 pm
In today’s AJC, average SAT at GT 1395, at UGA 1273. Yea, sounds like UGA is harder to get into. The two kids who couldn’t get into UGA probably could not hitch up their mule to a plow.
SBinF
September 25th, 2012
9:26 pm
Sigh, folks arguing about salary…There is more to life.
I graduated from Tech and went into teaching. I didn’t get anything near the average starting salary of a GT grad. I’m back at Tech for a master’s. If I stay in teaching, I will still be far below what a Tech graduate degree holder earns. And yet I can still pay my bills. Perish the thought…
GT Joe
September 25th, 2012
9:27 pm
UGA grads are bosses of Tech grads? LOL.
Yeah, UGA grads are the bosses, but make 25% less salary after 15 years. Something does not compute.
DawginNY
September 25th, 2012
9:31 pm
GF Jacket, after the merger of UGA’s 2 foundations, we come in at $745M, http://www.nacubo.org/Documents/research/2011_NCSE_Public_Tables_Endowment_Market_Values_Final_January_17_2012.pdf
It’s still embarrassing, though. I think it is a failure on the part of Adams. Chuck Knapp make Georgia a top 50 university. Adams was hired from Centre College becuase he was supposedly a master fundraiser.
As for the salary comparison. Tech’s starting salary is as good as Harvard’s. Tech is not as good of a school, but Harvard has liberal arts majors. That’s their mission and it’s UGA’s mission as well. Tech’s mission to educate engineers. It’s silly to compare salaries of sociology majors with electronic engineers.
GT Joe
September 25th, 2012
9:33 pm
Fact #1: UGA grads before the Hope Scholarship = the dummies in high school
Fact #2: Hope scholarship dramatically improved the quality of student at UGA; kids who were smart found it hard to turn down free school.
Fact #3: Once the Hope scholarship goes away, UGA will return to the cowtown junior college that it always was.
GT Joe
September 25th, 2012
9:36 pm
Highest average SAT score of all D1 public schools for the FOOTBALL team: GT
GT Joe
September 25th, 2012
9:36 pm
Highest average SAT score of all D1 public schools for the FOOTBALL team: GT
Go Dawgs!
September 25th, 2012
9:36 pm
Forget earning power…..it’s all about football!!!!
GT Joe
September 25th, 2012
9:41 pm
AppleCEO: had no idea Tim Cook went to Auburn, cool. Industrial Engineering grad, btw.
And just named the most powerful gay man in the world: http://thelastword.msnbc.com/_news/2011/08/25/7473885-the-most-powerful-gay-man-in-america?lite
Critical Reading is Fundamental
September 25th, 2012
9:46 pm
“nowhere did I say that of the 90% that I quoted that they did NOT receive the financial aid, only that their parents could afford to send them there without the aid – they are quite bright, so they are taking advantage of what the schools have to offer, and they are using what is available.”
First of all, you were referring to 90 percent of Ivy League schools, not students. (At least, that’s what you wrote.) Secondly, you said that these schools admit “mostly” (implying over 50 percent) students whose parents can afford full tuition. Considering the figures I referenced pertain only to NEED-BASED financial aid, your assertion holds true only for Brown, or an eighth of the Ivy League.
DawginNY
September 25th, 2012
9:48 pm
Here’s the problem with average, or even median. Georgia’s mission to provide a broad array of degree for our state. We have an ag school, a college of education, a college of arts and sciences and a college of fine arts. Farmers and teachers aren’t going to make what business people and engineers make. Psychology and political science majors aren’t going to make money in their fields without grad school, which would not be fair to compare them with undergrads. Tech should compare themselves with MIT, Harvey Mudd, RPI, Cal Tech, etc. We should compare ourselves with other flagship state universities.
UGA Class of 2015
September 25th, 2012
9:49 pm
GT Joe, you’re very emotional. Do you attend college at all? Stand down. Accept it; you’re a LOSER.
Fact Check
September 25th, 2012
9:52 pm
To all the UGA grads who keep saying how much better UGA’s B-School is…
2012 Undergrad B-School Rankings
#37 – Georgia Tech
#50 – UGA
Go Jackets!
GT Joe
September 25th, 2012
9:56 pm
Great post class of 2015. Chock full of facts. my guess is your SAT was below the UGA average of 1273.
UGA Class of 2015
September 25th, 2012
10:01 pm
With students like GT Joe, we need to ensure to keep weapons off the Tech campus.
joe in tucker
September 25th, 2012
10:02 pm
one nephew @ Tech, a niece @ UGA and one on the way to Tech!! great! they will be able to take care of dear old uncle joe in a couple of years!! lol
Omar Little
September 25th, 2012
10:04 pm
UGA’s endowment isn’t even over $1B? Hahahahaha.
Jenny W.
September 25th, 2012
10:06 pm
UGA is a great school and will soon be a public Ivy like UCLA, Berkeley, UVA, and Michigan. My niece turned down Vanderbilt and Cornell to attend UGA.
PalmettoMD
September 25th, 2012
10:07 pm
How much was Issah Crowell’s return on investment
GT Joe
September 25th, 2012
10:09 pm
damn your niece is dumb. She’ll fit in well at UGA.
Then again, UGA for free vs. $200k somewhere else is a tough call.
Public Ivy? If that ever existed, GTwould be there waiting.
PalmettoMD
September 25th, 2012
10:12 pm
“UGA is a great school and will soon be a public Ivy like UCLA, Berkeley, UVA, and Michigan. My niece turned down Vanderbilt and Cornell to attend UGA.”
I don’t see that being a great argument. I turned down Notre Dame, Duke, and gasp a big schollie offer from Ga Tech to attend Clemson. I think this just means there are Ivy :eague level students that attend the school but the school itself is not Ivy League b/c of that. That being said Ga Tech and UGA are both great schools that focus on very different areas of study. At least Georgia has 2 prestigious public universities unlike SC that has 1.
RAD
September 25th, 2012
10:13 pm
Walton High School Grad told to go home and think about it from Georgia Southern College – thought about it – went to work 150k- 2011.
The Factor
September 25th, 2012
10:17 pm
@GT Joe,
You are a pinhead and my guess about 5′4″ to 5′ 6″ with a big Napolean complex. To all others, both schools are terrific. Go Dawgs! Go Jackets!
Stumpknocker
September 25th, 2012
10:22 pm
There you go again (Proud UGA Grad) So UGA grads grow up to run places like the Smithsonian, Westinghouse , Wal-Mart and so on…….How many UGA grads are astronauts?…….Didn’t think so……..but I hear you have some damn good poultry science grads and leisure arts majors and housing grads and magazine (what evers).
The Factor
September 25th, 2012
10:26 pm
I went to Valdosta State and have averaged $150k+ for years (with highs over $200K). It isn’t the shingle, it’s what you can do with it. For most, it only opens doors, after that experience and hard work carries the day.
Just asking a question
September 25th, 2012
10:39 pm
Question – I thought UGA and GT had the same tuition and fees, why are they different? Both of these numbers seem to be the out of state costs which would make the publics of each state and even better return compared to privates.
Who Cares?
September 25th, 2012
10:44 pm
For what it’s worth, my daughter applied to both UGA and Georgia Tech for this current year. She was accepted at both schools. UGA accepted her in their “Honors” program, while Georgia Tech didn’t. She chose Georgia Tech.
Buzzzed
September 25th, 2012
11:01 pm
The bigger story here isn’t that tuition for public universities tripled in 12 years?
List Mama » Tech, UGA offer best salary returns on tuition – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
September 25th, 2012
11:07 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Man Boobs
September 25th, 2012
11:08 pm
@ The Factor: Good call on GT Joe. He has always been a clown. He’s on here stating that Tech football players are smarter than UGA players. I wonder if they are going over algorithms to see if they can even get bowl eligible this year. Let’s see if he can figure out these simple numbers…….
31-17
10 of 11
62-37-5
or I just guess he is currently stuck on 2-2 or would that be 0-2 in the ACC. It must be really difficult knowing that you are so much smarter that those teams whipping up on you.
Steve
September 25th, 2012
11:09 pm
I’m just jealous of Tech students. Being gay is tough in today’s world. I love watching our offensive linemen marching in those tight pants. Go Dawgs!
Vote for Pedro
September 25th, 2012
11:11 pm
How can this be true? A single UGA football player will earn as much in the NFL as an entire graduating class of Tech nerds! The statisticians must have excluded the outliers… since Tech has no outliers… just a bunch of engineers.
AppleCEO
September 25th, 2012
11:16 pm
Thuga has the same academics and professors as pre-hope. Not impressed. AU has more CEOs of fortune 500 companies than thuga. Tech a cut above thuga. Not complicated…..
JetBuzz (GT IE '80)
September 25th, 2012
11:36 pm
My freshman son’s choice was identical to your daughter’s choice, “Who Cares?”. All A’s K-12 with 9-12 IB/AP. Accepted UGA “Honors College”, GT, and UVA. Chose GT Bio-Med Engineering, ranked #2 nationally behind Johns-Hopkins. All great schools (for serious students). Certainly a wider academic-demographic at UGA, but the Hope has helped as a great recruiting tool.
Humpy
September 25th, 2012
11:41 pm
To: Not stupid, easy. Regarding the Neanderthal athletes…I understand that NOT ONE starting football player at GT is enrolled in engineering classes? DUH…why is that? Guess they have basket weaving equivalency classes at GT too.
JM
September 25th, 2012
11:44 pm
@Petro:
Who just got the biggest contract in NFL history? His name was Calvin something; can’t quite remember where he went to school…
Tom in Marietta
September 26th, 2012
12:26 am
UGA Grad 1989 – $165 plus car, insurance, gas, and a fun job. Sleep late, entertain late into the night, free stuff including season tickets (Falcons and UGA) and I didn’t really go to college…I went to Georgia. Go Dawgs!
2008 UGA Grad
September 26th, 2012
12:31 am
TECH GRADS are trained to get a high-paying job for a graduate, sit in their cubicles and work at that job for infinity. With that, they think they’ve arrived. Nothing can inspire them to do more because that’s the type people they are. They ARE BORN FOLLOWERS. UGA grads are trained to be visionaries and see that there’s more to be accomplished in the world. Those are the type people who make it to “leader.” Because of these philosophies, I’m leaving a lot of Tech people who graduated the same year as me and started out making a higher salary than me in the dust.
Ironic
September 26th, 2012
12:42 am
Ironic that a thread about how great our schools are can spawn a comment section that immediately makes your question it.
Ironic
September 26th, 2012
12:43 am
Also ironic that I misspelled a word in the context of my post. FML
ignition
September 26th, 2012
1:16 am
This doesn’t make since..
Public schools like MIT, Cal, UCLA are below UGA ?? GTFOH
Don Pablo
September 26th, 2012
4:42 am
I went to Mercer University, which is a Private Liberal Arts School and I finished in 1996. I amcurrently pulling down a meager $217K a year.It probably helps that my location has a stronger job market though. Not bad in my opinion for a $51K investment. And did I mention I didn’t get financial aide.
Don Pablo
September 26th, 2012
4:54 am
While I didn’t go to a public school. I’m sure my 1480 out of 1600 SAT score at the time would have gotten me into GT… Smart parents don’t let their kids go to UGA. Go GT…
Hugh Jass
September 26th, 2012
6:44 am
I am a UGA grad and I work with UGA grads and we all make way more than this.
reality check
September 26th, 2012
7:21 am
@confused…What you have observed is undoubtedly true, even though on average it is somewhat more difficult to get into Tech. The thing that is happening at UGA and other southern state flagship schools is that they are accepting out of state students with lesser qualifications than students from their own states so that they can collect out of state tuition.
The percentage of out of state (and foreign) students is much higher at tech so they are not as quota driven on Georgia students.
I know this may be hard to believe but it is the ugly truth. To me as a Georgia taxpayer it really ticks me off.
Hey, Proud UGA Grad
September 26th, 2012
7:24 am
Put your salary up against Southern Company’s CEO. Owned again…
B'more Jacket
September 26th, 2012
7:31 am
I am a Tech graduate and I am doing just fine such that I am able to make the tuition payments for my son at Harvard. (Note: My son was accepted to the Honors program at UGA and took a visit and thought it was a joke.)
It is not all about the money or football however. There are many Tech and UGA grads who could stand to broaden their Red State perspective. I would suggest seeing the world and making the world a better place. If you are interested in doing more than making money, join a Habitat for Humanity Global Village build.
http://www.habitat.org/gv/
Reggie Ball
September 26th, 2012
7:34 am
I gots my degree from tech, now i can count to 4
Jack Sprat
September 26th, 2012
8:02 am
Are these salary figures self-reported? Where do the numbers come from? How ACCURATE is this data? Does it come from ONLY those alumni who report their salaries to the schools? Or, does each school track the IRS returns of its alumni? Explain please!
Humpy
September 26th, 2012
8:10 am
To JM: Johnson got the big old contract because he was catching passes from a UGA grad (the lead DAWG). You had to know that was coming.
Humpy
September 26th, 2012
8:18 am
During the 2006 summer, Johnson, who majored in management with a background in building construction, was given the option of working on either constructing environmentally friendly luxury condos, or a project building solar latrines to improve sanitation in Bolivia.[15][16] Johnson chose the latter, as he wanted to help the less fortunate.[17] The “solar latrines” use the sun’s rays to safely transform bacteria-laden waste into fertilizer.
This was taken from Wikipedia. Seriously? He needed to go to GT to learn to do this. WOW an engineering degree to build condos and outhouses? So impressed.
Georgia Schools Offer Best Return on Tuition | Georgia Technology News
September 26th, 2012
8:23 am
[...] class of 2009, who paid $77,957 for four years of college, have a median salary of $41,100 today. Read the full article here. This entry was posted in Education, News and tagged Athens, Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia Tech, [...]
Steve
September 26th, 2012
8:24 am
No doubt that Tech wins in academics versus UGA, but with that said, I can tell you my Ph.D. from UGA has helped me earn a big salary and I beleive other UGA post-graduates would say the same.
Tech Student
September 26th, 2012
8:26 am
Critical Reading – Public schools also offer tons of grant money. I’m a current student and can vouch that this is at least true for GT. I receive >5,000 in grants every year without even applying for them.
Where did you go to school?
Steve
September 26th, 2012
8:29 am
And for those of you who cannot understand why schools like MIT and others are below UGA, please read the article again. The rankings are based on a comparision of tuition and salaries at graduation and at mid-career. If the best academic schools are not on there it must mean that their ROI isn’t as high as some of the other schools.
Dunwoody Journal Constitution
September 26th, 2012
8:30 am
GT is far more than an engineering school and offers a liberal arts degree as well. Tech’s six colleges are architecture, business, computing, engineering, liberal arts, and sciences. Tech admits all students in all majors based upon the same criteria and Tech graduates teachers, public policy leaders, business executives, and technology experts. It’s consistently one of the top 10 public universities in America. Sadly, because you’re all reading this paper, you probably don’t know that.
Tech Student
September 26th, 2012
8:30 am
Man Boobs – Tech and UGA are both tied for amount of consecutive bowl games. Go read up first. You’re doing a great job making UGA fans look like bigoted imbeciles. Notice I said “fans” and not “grads”?
Delusional
September 26th, 2012
8:41 am
Why are UGA and Tech homers actually arguing about this subject on this board? It is an admirable accomplichment for both schools but the truth is it is the PERSON with the degree that detemrines the amount of success they will experience. The degree may help with the first 1 or 2 jobs/ 5 or so years and then your professional accomplishments take over. Anyone arguing about this is immature at best.
CalifDan
September 26th, 2012
8:46 am
Nowhere in this article do I see any adjustment for whether those UGA and/or Tech undergrads went on to graduate school, whether at a Georgia school or somewhere else. Unless this study compared only students with a BA/BS who did not go on to graduate school, it seems to me like there’s no legitimate analysis to be had. I have no interest in the Jackets-vs-Dawgs fight, and I agree with the poster above who stated salary isn’t the only legitimate metric of a good education. However, even for salary, it takes more data than this article reports, to know whether the correlation makes any sense at all…I’m guessing if you add in graduate work it doesn’t. Sloppy reporting!
GTJoE
September 26th, 2012
8:48 am
How you like them apples DAWGS? I graduated in ‘97 & I’m making more than 22K than YOU. I’ll take that over any day vesus hollow football games.
CalifDan
September 26th, 2012
8:53 am
@Don Pablo if you went to Mercer without financial aid, you come from a family of means. That, far more than your education, probably gave you the opportunity to land a high-paying job. What you know helps you succeed, but who you know gives you the chance to show what you know…never forget it.
Big Al
September 26th, 2012
8:54 am
I have more sex than UGA and Tech grads combined.
the magnificent chimpo
September 26th, 2012
9:23 am
@Big Al…did you go to PENN STATE?
The Crow
September 26th, 2012
9:25 am
“And for those of you who cannot understand why schools like MIT and others are below UGA, please read the article again. The rankings are based on a comparision of tuition and salaries at graduation and at mid-career.”
MIT isn’t below UGA, as it wasn’t even included in 50 schools studied.
atowndown
September 26th, 2012
9:39 am
Big Al is in prison.
GTJoE
September 26th, 2012
9:43 am
@The Crow…Can you actually expect UGA ‘fans’ to understand the variables used to compile the data provided in the article? As one ‘fan’ put it…its all about football for them.
Mom in Rural GA
September 26th, 2012
9:44 am
So, was Tech number 1 or number 3? It is difficult to tell by the poorly written sentence:
“In fact, Georgia has two schools in the Top 5: The University of Georgia ranks No. 4, behind Tech, the University of Florida (2) and the University of Texas at Austin (3).”
Tech is 1st – that should have been the focus of the article and that sentence, instead of UGA’s outstanding no 5 ranking -albeit, truly amazing. (Guessing a UGA grad authored this piece – but don’t have time to research. The AJC bias still ruffles this Tech grad’s feathers every now and then.)
PR
September 26th, 2012
9:55 am
At the end of the day, a degree only gets your foot in the door. It’s up to the individual to turn that degree into a career and paycheck.
Mom in Rural GA
September 26th, 2012
9:57 am
My husband and I are both Tech grads. Literally begged our daughter to go to UGA – would get an easy 4.0, and would get into grad school without a problem with her testing abilities. She rebelled and chose Tech and loves it. (When we were students – you didn’t LOVE Tech.) Times have changed and she appreciates being surrounded by rational, level-headed, mature, intelligent kids with lots of ambition. Liberal Arts and Business double major. Coke emailed her the other day and asked her to come interview. She is in her 2nd year. We are finally happy with her decision to attend Tech. (She still has HOPE – we just want her to keep her grades up in case grad school is in her future- Tech does not hand out the A’s in any subject, no matter how smart it would make their graduates look).
Big Al
September 26th, 2012
10:01 am
Seriously, Tech students are all virgins and UGA studnets are a bunch of fags.
jarvis
September 26th, 2012
10:06 am
I graduated from UGA in 1997 and I’m floored that the cost has went from $27,865 to $77,957 in TWELVE years. That’s absurd! That’s almost 180%!!!
The Crow
September 26th, 2012
10:19 am
“Tech is 1st – that should have been the focus of the article and that sentence, instead of UGA’s outstanding no 5 ranking -albeit, truly amazing.”
Could you not glean that from first nine words of the article: “Georgia Tech offers ‘the best academic deal in America’…”?
Wow.
Evidently, Mom in Rural GA...
September 26th, 2012
10:23 am
…has a difficult time comprehending the written – must be from that terrific GT education which she admittedly begged her gifted daughter NOT to pursue…
Ga Dawg
September 26th, 2012
10:34 am
The truth of the matter is that if you apply yourself and work hard the sky is the limit. It does not matter where you go to school. You can accomplish what you want if you work hard and apply yourself. I am a proud grad of UGA, played ball there and have done quite well for myself. Most of you think a “jock” is a dummy who is at school because of his athletic skills. Get over the hate people. Both UGA and Tech produce people who are solvent in their communities
Pot meet Kettle
September 26th, 2012
10:43 am
Hilarious Yech fans. Saying UGA undermines academics for athletes. Have you heard Demaryious Thomas speak?
DumbMoney
September 26th, 2012
11:11 am
I haven’t read all of the comments, so my point may have already been made. SmartMoney might have to change their name. If you consider that college is at best a one-time investment and at worst a very low interest loan, plus that a salary is paid yearly. The best investment is the one that returns the highest midcareer salary because the difference in salary is going to be paid yearly over the remainder of the graduate’s career. Over the next ten years, the difference in the highest midcareer salary and the lowest is going to be much greater than the difference in cost of college over four years between even Princton and UGA. In the short term, UGA and Tech are great investments, but over the long term Princeton and the other expensive private schools are the best bet, along with Tech. Tech’s a great deal anyway you cut it. UGA is a great deal in the short term and a good deal in the long term. So, strictly speaking to the financial value of a degree for a graduate, the best deal is the one that will afford the highest midcareer salary. Assuming you choose a career track with an average payscale. But life isn’t all about money, but it sure makes it easier.
TechMarine
September 26th, 2012
11:25 am
Proud UGA Grad, I’ll take that bet. You guys have photography majors there so getting the big picture shouldn’t be too much work. Tech had 3 astronauts on the ISS at one time, how many UGA grads have made it off the planet?
wreckmaniac
September 26th, 2012
11:27 am
ProudUGAGrad: Stick with the facts instead of what you wish was true
wreckmaniac
September 26th, 2012
11:29 am
Jarvis: You, sir, have hit on the correct topic. College costs are today’s biggest legal racket. Don’t be surprized if the mafia isn’t involved.
wreckmaniac
September 26th, 2012
11:31 am
At Tech, our competition is not UGA. It is MIT, CalTech, Rice and other elite technology schools.
beanster
September 26th, 2012
11:37 am
@ DumbMoney — Wisest analysis yet. Especially true in the “new” economy.
AT
September 26th, 2012
12:37 pm
I’d like to see statistics on what % of Tech vs. UGA students can actually find jobs after they graduate. The job market has demand for high paying science, technology and engineering talent, which Georgia Tech prepares students for. UGA’s general degree programs are no longer attractive in today’s job market, a fact that’s reflected in the lower pay of UGA grads (~$20k lower than Tech in Mid-Career Median Salaries).
APS News Digest – Wednesday, September 26, 2012 « Talk Up APS
September 26th, 2012
12:43 pm
[...] http://blogs.ajc.com/business-beat/2012/09/25/was-the-tuition-you-paid-for-college-worth-it/ [...]
CLEMSONDUDE
September 26th, 2012
12:55 pm
Little ole Clemson is at # 7. Continue to make gains as a top 20 public University. Go Tigers!
ugaalumni
September 26th, 2012
1:06 pm
Hey I know Georgia Tech and UGA are rivals in the sports arena but we can’t honestly discount both schools a great educational institutions. I am a 2009 UGA grad and fortunately I and alot of my friends are on the northern end of the median salary for UGA 2009 Grads(aside for those currently pursuing furthur degrees) And thats even with a liberals arts degree. However, I will admit that I have a great deal of respect for anyone that attended GT let alone graduated from there. That is by no means a easy task and a degree from there is highly respected.
Buck's Nuggets
September 26th, 2012
1:10 pm
51-7
Wreckem
September 26th, 2012
1:10 pm
Good job for both schools. As an alumnus of The Institute, I feel the most valuable experience from the school is learning how to work hard. If any student or student athelete thinks they are gonna coast through their degree program, man you are dead wrong. And I really don’t think you can compare GT to UGA academically, they have two completely different missions. The state of Georgia should be proud, we give students and families the best return on their college investments.
Devil's Advocate
September 26th, 2012
1:26 pm
You know a person is miserable when the only way they can feel good about themselves is to constantly put down their neighbor. I’ve never understood why it is so important for Techies to make sure the world knows that UGA’s academics are so poor.
GAMom77
September 26th, 2012
1:35 pm
There is no simple formula to be able to explain to the masses. Coming from a private liberal arts college with a high SAT/ACT entrance, the graduates applying to med/law school are so succesful that it is off the charts over public institutions that it is unbelivable. This reading does not take that into accounting at all and is no indicator of ‘learning of skills’ for liberal arts. Regional schools are extremely low while nationally ranked schools are very high. It’s apples and oranges and unfortunately history bares out the truth! There is the rare case but it is that…..rare!
I wonder what
September 26th, 2012
1:46 pm
the value comparison would look like if you considered the tuition dollars wasted on MRS majors (home economics or whatever they are calling it now) who never have a salary.
Sha Rogers
September 26th, 2012
1:48 pm
Sure would be nice if I had tuition reimbursement with my employer, because I would take full advantage!!!
Indydawg
September 26th, 2012
1:48 pm
And obviously GT Joe is undercompensated in other ways.
Really people, it is about who you know.
myother
September 26th, 2012
1:58 pm
Can you say “circle jerk”?
Donna
September 26th, 2012
2:00 pm
“Tech’s Class of 2009, who paid $87,810 for four years of college, had a median salary of $59,000 today. The Class of 1997, who paid $30,249 for four years of college, had a median salary of $102,000 today.
Georgia’s Class of 2009, whose members paid $77,957 for four years of college, have a median salary of $41,100 today. The Class of 1997, whose members paid $27,865 for four years of college, have a median salary of $79,200.”
Wow, even though I have a Bachelor of Science degree from what I, with my close-minded view, call a “real” university, my husband spent 2 years in a vo-tech school to become an instrument technician, paid minimal tuition, and was making 6 figures at a chemical plant after being there 5 years. He’s now been there almost 11 years. I eat my words and wonder why pay the expense of what I deemed “real” universities when there are many jobs that pay extremely good salaries for much less time and expense. Oh – This article was about the ratio of money spent to money earned – return on investment and it seems many didn’t quite get that part. The comments almost sound like I was reading the Sports Vent…
GFY
September 26th, 2012
2:01 pm
I think what a lot of people are missing in this bid to one up each other is how much tuition has increased in the past 12 years at both UGA and GIT. At GIT it is ~300% (rounded) from 1997 to 2009. At UGA it is also ~300%. This is what people should be upset about. What would be curious is to identify what is driving this kind of increase. I suspect that once the HOPE scholarship began subsidizing tuition other “student fees” went through the roof. I cannot verify as I am past my college years and my children are 10 years away but it does make you pause to consider the very large increase in the past 12 years.
Funnel Mouth
September 26th, 2012
2:04 pm
I know Natty Light! Got my beer money a master’s in tailgaitin’. Party school heaven. For a few dollars more? Nah! 4-0 and on our way to another National Championship!!!! You can’t buy that.
GFY
September 26th, 2012
2:05 pm
Very well written narrative from Wreckem. While we may root for our team in sports that in no way should take away from the fact we have two great public schools (Emory is private of course and some questions are currently surrounding their SAT admission scores
).
Show Me Your TDs
September 26th, 2012
2:06 pm
With all engineers bragging on here, its a shame they cant see the entire equation regarding why possible differences of income. Two different sampling size/population..with differing curriculum.
mad~catfish
September 26th, 2012
2:06 pm
i guess tech is a good deal…but then you have to be worried about being raped, murdered or robbed on north avenue…but hell i guess it out weighs the odds….stupid geek loosers!!!!
Pocket Protector
September 26th, 2012
2:07 pm
I know DragonCon. Got my Stormtrooper uniform on and going to have some virtual relationships tonight!! Mom might find out if I don’t keep the basement door locked. I don’t care about football as it is not as cool as playing video games.
uga grad
September 26th, 2012
2:20 pm
Endowments are mostly meaningless for public universities. They receive their funding as a line item in the state budget. Private universities receive their funding as returns from investing their endowment. For what its worth I have a BS and MS in biology from UGA and I am embarrassed to admit how little money I make (working in biological research).
Southern Belle
September 26th, 2012
2:29 pm
The CEO of GameStop is a GA Tech grad who never pursued a graduate degree. He is brilliant and a big supporter of Tech.
That is ok, uga grad...
September 26th, 2012
2:32 pm
…I am a graduate of one of those “southern Ivy League” liberal arts colleges and am probably their undistinguished graduates, of whom they are really mad that they allowed to matriculate there, much less graduate from there…I think I graduated just to spite them, but, in the long run, the joke was on me, much to my chagrine…
xxx
September 26th, 2012
2:35 pm
Parking lot football fans don’t get to comment. The discussion is about tuition and graduation, 2 things most UGA fans only hear about from eavesdropping on their betters in the stalls as they wait to turn the water on for them.
Motocross Survivor
September 26th, 2012
2:37 pm
This is deceptive as it only counts the grads who actually found a professional position in their field. There are many more who didn’t and who are working any job they can get, or are back home with the parents. I learned about these kinds of reports long ago.
@DonPablo
September 26th, 2012
2:51 pm
Califdan,
I appreciate your comments. I will never forget where I came from and that others paved the way for me. Regardless of where we went to school, it’s what you do after you have your degree in hand that matters most. All of the money in the world can’t buy you happiness and you can’t take it your eternal resting place. So use your money/assets for good. donate to endowments and community outreach philanthrophic endeavors. That’s why Bill and Melinda Gates are my idols.
Stephen
September 26th, 2012
2:53 pm
Where is the “Harvard of the South” Emory?
No, Stephen...
September 26th, 2012
2:57 pm
…it is Morehouse College…Emory would be insulted by being compared to Hah-vud…
Jsin
September 26th, 2012
2:57 pm
Of course state schools with in state tuition are going to be the top ranked. What a joke this article is.
Guest
September 26th, 2012
3:08 pm
“Where is the ‘Harvard of the South’ Emory?”
Emory wasn’t one of the 50 schools studied.
Michael Miller
September 26th, 2012
3:29 pm
I never got into GaTech. I did get into SPSU. I did not get a degree from SPSU, I did make some important connections (fellow students) that helped me get into the business world. And there were a few good classes that have been instrumental in my career. Overall I think the experience was worth it. And at various times in my life I have made more than “old timer”. It isn’t about the degree, or the school. It is about the student. I would recommend attending a state school simply because of the lower cost of in-state tuition.
Paul in NH
September 26th, 2012
3:32 pm
“The median salary was divided by total tuition and fees for each of the four-year periods. The result was converted to a percentage figure, and the outcome was a measure of return on investment, or a “Payback Score”.”
Another methodology would be the differential between median salary and total tuition rather than ratio. Someone who has a salary of $100k after spending $50k (diff = 50, ratio = 2) is in a much better situation than someone who has a salary of $50k after spending $20k (diff = 30, ratio = 2.5)
Jefe
September 26th, 2012
3:37 pm
One thing that this study doesn’t even mention is the fact that most college students are taking out loans to pay for their education, so the numbers above are not factoring in tens of thousands of $$ of interest in receiving this education. This would greatly change the ROI and would add significantly to the overall costs. On a related note, too many professionals are still dealing with these loans well into their 30s (and even 40s in some cases). I finally got mine paid off by 30 only because I got mad and decided I was tired of paying all that interest and essentially throwing my money away. Like a car payment, it’s “normal” for one to get a student loan, instead of saving up to pay for it or working part-time during your studies, and young professionals are already digging themselves into an uphill financial battle with these 5-6 figure loans while trying to buy their first home and save for retirement at the same time. A little more personal responsibility and living debt-free would go a long way….
Woodstock Joe
September 26th, 2012
3:46 pm
Both GT and UGA should be praised for these ranking. However, I believe the biggest credit goes to the Hope. Both schools have benefited dramatically as the quality of students have risen. Georgia has benefited by higher academic while GT has benefited for more well rounded students. As a GT grad in upper management, I work for someone who graduated from a small liberal arts school in LA. Our business was started by someone with only a high school diploma. I have both GT and UGA recent grads working on my team – all of them seem well prepared by their education background. While school pride is admirable, too much can lead to arrogance. Right after arrogance comes failure. Like most issues, I tend to believe the “haters” make up the VOCAL minority. Again, kudos to the both schools on preparing their students for the current business world.
JW
September 26th, 2012
3:48 pm
Holy smokes…the only thing of value I took from this was the staggering diff. in tuition and fees for the class of ‘97 and ‘12. Unreal
Michael
September 26th, 2012
3:50 pm
Listen up dipwads. This isn’t about UGA vs TECH but more about WHY THE HECK these schools cost so much more now vs 10 years ago ? The simple answer is lottery (public) money. This caused the administrators to go on a spending and salary binge that is still going on today. Look up an average UGA profs salary lately? $100K easy. I’m sorry but these people aren’t worth it. Have you seen how many construction projects occured in the last 15 years at either school ? New buildings everywhere offering every non-educational service under the sun. Both are fine institutions but hardly worth the tuition they charge now. Let me ask you, is your kid or younger cousin that went to UGA/TECH that much smarter than you ? Hell no. By the way, same goes for the rest of the SEC and ACC institutions. The average bill at any of these schools is between $60K – $80K for 4 years. C’MON MAN $80K for a BAMA degree !! Lets get real by lighting a fire under neath our elected officials to limit salary increases and general spending at our publicly funded schools.
MoFaux
September 26th, 2012
3:54 pm
It’s really sad to see so many people boasting of their huge salaries. Please pat yourself on the back and genuflect into the mirror. I went to GT and I do not earn $102+, and frankly don’t care. All that really matters is your happiness. Money does not equate to happiness. I could make more money if I really wanted to, but I like my career and the benefits are nice. All this back and forth between UGA and GT is so high school and I can’t believe grown adults insult each other based upon their school choice. Just kidding, I’m not that naive. This is an anonymous internet blog, so of course people feel like they can throw mindless insults around at will. Both schools are good choices, period!
Joseph
September 26th, 2012
4:05 pm
Tech’s COB is ridiculed on campus as the easy way to a degree… yet 95% of its graduates get a job within 3 months of graduation, and they have an average starting salary higher than UGA’s. No wonder the Tech B-school is higher ranked than UGA’s
sting_em
September 26th, 2012
4:31 pm
If any of my kids get into UGA, Tech, or any other state school on the HOPE, that’s my best return on investment.
Tea Party Patriot
September 26th, 2012
5:03 pm
Public schools are socialism. Get a job.
UGA, all the way
September 26th, 2012
8:08 pm
All the people I know from Tech are emotionally unstable.
UGA, all the way
September 26th, 2012
9:31 pm
Silence, silence. Guess all the Tech people aren’t smart enough to find this site anymore.
Jose
September 26th, 2012
9:44 pm
My deck is bigger than yours …
sal
September 27th, 2012
3:56 am
Even though I wanted to major in engineering, had no interest in living in downtown ATL since I’ve lived here all my life. It’s a 35+ hours of studying each week, and the only reason I’m keeping a 3.3 is the one on one, personal attention from most of my profs(Not TA’S or grad assts) at UGA. Most have been ready to offer as much help/guidance that I need. They won’t let me give up. I thought I wanted to go to a large engineering school up north, my parents couldn’t afford it, I didn’t want the loan burden – WOW! I’m getting my money’s worth at UGA. My sister got help from the TA’s never the profs at her expensive school. My friends in engineering at Tech say they’re not getting this kind of personal help from the profs. I’m just a soph, and I already have a list of profs who know me well, will write recs for me, etc. – It’s hard to put a price tag on that!
BYC
September 27th, 2012
9:12 am
On the football field, TO HELL WITH GEORGIA! But it looks like we should all be proud of our schools here. Not saying either school has it worse, but I wonder how this study deals with dropouts, super-seniors, and people who cant find jobs?