Nearly half of master’s degrees have a negative ROI

As thousands of new graduates toss their hats this month, research result More than 40 percent of master’s degrees are not economically worth pursuing, the Equal Opportunity Research Foundation has found.

By examining career earnings upon graduation and 10 years later, while accounting for factors such as dropout rates, we found that a bachelor’s degree is far more likely to be economically valuable to students than a graduate degree. Research has revealed this.

More than three-quarters, or 77%, of four-year bachelor’s degrees have a positive return on investment, compared to just 57% of master’s degrees, the study found.

The topic of study has a significant impact on financial returns, with the best undergraduate degrees being degrees in engineering, computer science, and nursing, while programs in art, education, and biology have the lowest median returns. Ta.

Research shows that the average return on investment for a bachelor’s degree is about $160,000, but degrees in particularly lucrative fields can be more than $500,000.

According to the analysis, law, medicine and dentistry were the most lucrative for postgraduate study.

Study author Preston Cooper said, “While ROI should not be the only consideration for students when making college decisions, the ROI estimates presented in this report do help students and their families do better when it comes to higher education. It will help you make a choice.”

The study comes amid increased scrutiny of the cost of higher education. Undergraduate tuition at some universities can reach $95,000, while millions of Americans are saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in student debt.

Debt cancellation is a focus of the Biden administration, addressing the symptoms of rising costs while also boosting support before November’s election.