Jay Leno, an Emmy recipient and People’s Choice Award winner and one of the most iconic and widely recognized TV personalities ever, went to Emerson College. Tom Hanks, winner of countless awards and undoubtedly one of the greatest actors of his generation, attended Chabot College. These schools, virtually unknown to anyone that doesn’t live in their respected areas, produced two individuals who have achieved great successes in their respective fields. Neither Tom Hanks nor Jay Leno chose these colleges for the prestige of their names. They chose those colleges because they offered the classes and resources that were needed to be successful in the fields they had chosen at the time.

The staff of The Skyline View believes that students should not pick their colleges based on the prestige of the college’s name. San Francisco State University, for example, offers the same Physical Therapy degree that Stanford University offers. And yet, Stanford seems so much more enticing and distinguished then SF state. Yes, not every college is the same and not every program at Stanford is offered at SF state, but that can go both ways. It is simply illogical to pay thousands of dollars for a class that you can take elsewhere for a fraction of the cost.

It also comes down to what career path you plan to take according to a recent study conducted by CollegeMeasures.org. They conclude that many liberal art degrees don’t yield the salaries that technical majors can. It might not mean as much to your future employer where you studied but instead what you studied. The CollegeMeasures study found that
in Tennessee more than $36,000 on average separated liberal art degree holders and those involved in health professions or related fields.

The study also showed that the average starting salary after graduation for a specific major didn’t fluctuate as much as you might expect. On average nationwide, one can expect an $18,000 difference in your first year, CollegeMeasure.org found. In some states, the difference in earnings is much less.

In Colorado, the studies show that, out of the six institutions included in the study, the difference in earnings ranged only from $37,000 to $39,000, only $2000. This difference in earnings will not be enough to cover the loans necessary to have bought that elite degree. With highbrow universities charging over $60,000 in tuition, within two years a student could find themselves over 6 figures in debt from the get go.

More people seem to be paying for the brand rather than the education itself. If you’ve ever been to a campus like UC Davis, UC Berkeley, or Stanford, you will be amazed by the buildings and facilities that make up the school grounds.

UC Davis, for example, boasts a campus that basically takes up the major parts of the city of Davis, and for only $33,073 a year not including price of food.

This is not to dissuade anyone from going to a UC, a CSU, or a private school, but this is a simple reminder that what you will get is not exactly what you need to pay for.

Save money by conducting thorough research and considering major factors such as housing, food, and other bills outside of the education field. College, regardless of which you choose to go to, is always a great investment. Remember, though, that you are investing in your future and not on the logo posted on that $50 school sweater.