PayScale.com’s Return on Investment listings. The methodology is questionable. The data insufficient and unsystematic. But at least some audiences probably paying attention.
It’d be unethical, of course, to encourage top earning alums to submit their information and, of course, no schools do that.
But cynicism and methodological concerns aside, some kind of conversation about return on investment is important. And while it needs to be more nuanced than just salaries and bonuses, it also needs to rise above the empty platitudes about critical thinking and lifelong learning.
NOTE: if you go to the site, try it with and without financial aid included and be sure to click on the “?” to get explanation of the numbers.
