The Mystery Consumer Recommends: “College Scorecard”
Monday, September 21, 2015
The Mystery Consumer | CNBNewsnet
President Obama recently announced the opening of “College Scorecard”. It provides a great deal of comparative information about colleges and universities throughout the country that can be a useful aid to prospective students and parents alike. The website is:
Because of the cost of higher education, it’s important to get a handle on what the longer term financial benefit of various institutions will be. It should also be noted that the benefit of higher education includes many positive factors other than simply financial return.
Here is some information about a few local schools. More detailed information is available when you go to the basic site for each school:
School Average Annual Cost/ Graduation Rate / Median Salary After 10 Years
Rutgers, Camden $14,324 60% $54,800
Stockton University $20,180 65% $46,800
Rowan University $21,541 71% $48,800
Temple Univ. $20,845 66% $46,500
Drexel University $33,742 67% $61,100
U. of Pennsylvania $22,948 96% $78,200
Please note that the average cost figures are the college costs after financial aid, so they are net figures, not the full tuition. It is important to note that students should not be paying attention to what the retail sticker price of college tuition is, but rather what they will have spent, and still owe, at the end. Some schools with high tuitions actually wind up being far less expensive than lower priced schools after financial aid is factored in.
Readers are cautioned to use the data shown in the College Scorecard in conjunction with other input and advice from high school and community college counselors, and the institutions themselves, since median salaries will obviously vary depending upon a student’s program.