{"id":94123,"date":"2020-10-21T12:03:30","date_gmt":"2020-10-21T09:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-do-i-know-if-grad-school-is-worth-it\/"},"modified":"2020-10-21T12:03:30","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T09:03:30","slug":"how-do-i-know-if-grad-school-is-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-do-i-know-if-grad-school-is-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"#\n  How do I know if grad school is worth it?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2eaa20434d5\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2eaa20434d5\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-do-i-know-if-grad-school-is-worth-it\/#What_to_think_about_if_youre_considering_continuing_your_education\" >What to think about if you\u2019re considering continuing your education<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-do-i-know-if-grad-school-is-worth-it\/#Know_your_timeline\" >Know your timeline<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-do-i-know-if-grad-school-is-worth-it\/#Have_a_plan_to_pay_for_it\" >Have a plan to pay for it<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-do-i-know-if-grad-school-is-worth-it\/#Understand_your_return_on_investment\" >Understand your return on investment<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-do-i-know-if-grad-school-is-worth-it\/#More_from_NerdWallet\" >More from NerdWallet:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-do-i-know-if-grad-school-is-worth-it\/#Ryan_Lane\" >Ryan Lane<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#<br \/>\n  How do I know if grad school is worth it?<br \/>\n<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article__subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_think_about_if_youre_considering_continuing_your_education\"><\/span>\n  What to think about if you\u2019re considering continuing your education<br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"column column--full article__content\">\n<div id=\"js-article__body\" class=\"article__body article-wrap at16-col16 barrons-article-wrap\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-sbid=\"6F5061D6-0F2A-11EB-AF2B-AE3158C21537\">\n<div class=\"barrons-article-ad-wrapper\">\n<div data-track=\"barrons-article-ad-wrap\" class=\"barrons-article-ad sticky_item\">\n<div class=\"barrons-main-article-ad-target sticky_target body_ad\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"editorcomment\">This <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/loans\/student-loans\/more-grads-are-going-back-to-school-should-you?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com&amp;utm_content=872512\" class=\"icon none\">article<\/a> is reprinted by permission from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/nerdwallet.com\/blog\/?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com\" class=\"icon none\">NerdWallet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> College enrollment is down overall compared with last year due to the coronavirus. But the economic effects of the pandemic may actually be pushing some students back to school.<\/p>\n<div class=\"paywall\">\n       \u201c(It\u2019s) probably the worst time to graduate from college in this generation,\u201d says Doug Shapiro, executive director of the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. \u201cWhat are you going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p> The answer, for many, is getting additional education: As of Sept. 10, graduate program enrollment was up 3.9% and post-baccalaureate certificate program enrollment was up 24.2%, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re thinking about continuing your education \u2014 because you can\u2019t get a job or lost yours \u2014 here\u2019s what to consider before you enroll.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Know_your_timeline\"><\/span>Know your timeline<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>It\u2019s not surprising that recent college graduates or those who\u2019ve lost jobs or been furloughed are looking to gain new skills.<\/p>\n<p>Alana Burns, chief marketing officer of Southern New Hampshire University, said via email that the school saw similar behavior due to the 2008 recession.<\/p>\n<p>Burns said enrollment in SNHU\u2019s graduate-level programs is currently up roughly 55% compared with this time last year. That includes master\u2019s-level courses and graduate certificate programs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also see: <\/strong>Early decision is good for colleges, but is it good for you?<\/p>\n<p>Either option could make sense if you want to make yourself more marketable. But make sure whichever you choose addresses your short-term needs or your long-term goals.<\/p>\n<div id=\"cx-membership-tile\"><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIf you are looking for a specific skill or industry-specific certification, a certificate might be best,\u201d Burns said. \u201cIf you\u2019re looking to stand out in the job market or change careers, a full graduate degree program might be the best fit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Certificate programs take less time and don\u2019t require the entrance exams that graduate degree programs do. Shapiro points to those lower barriers as potential reasons for what he calls the \u201coutrageous\u201d increase in these programs\u2019 enrollment. A degree will require more planning.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not the kind of thing you can do on the spur of the moment,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Have_a_plan_to_pay_for_it\"><\/span>Have a plan to pay for it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Certificate programs also likely cost less, but that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean they\u2019re inexpensive.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Kent State University in Ohio estimates the cost of its nursing administration and health systems leadership graduate certificate at $12,300. Its online master\u2019s degree in nursing costs up to an estimated $22,500.<\/p>\n<p>Bradley Sommer, president and CEO of the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students, says to consider the financial implications when deciding whether to go back to school.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs it something you can afford?\u201d Sommer says. \u201cAre there scholarships available to you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you can\u2019t get free money \u2014 via a scholarship or research grant, for example \u2014 you\u2019ll need a plan to\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/loans\/student-loans\/ask-brianna-paying-graduate-school?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_content=872512&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com\" class=\"icon none\">pay for a graduate program<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>More than half of graduate students turn to loans, finishing their programs with an average debt of $71,000 in 2015-16, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics. That total does not include any existing undergraduate loans.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Be sure to read: <\/strong>This graduate degree will be a job magnet as the world recovers from COVID-19<\/p>\n<p>But you may not be able to take out federal financial aid or private\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/best\/loans\/student-loans\/graduate-school-loans?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_content=872512&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com\" class=\"icon none\">graduate student loans\u00a0<\/a>for a certificate. Ask the school\u2019s financial-aid office what aid a program is eligible for.<\/p>\n<p>If you need to finance a certificate, you may have to put it on a credit card or take out a personal loan. Both options usually come with higher interest rates than student loans and lack those loans\u2019 protections \u2014 like letting you pause payments if you lose your job.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understand_your_return_on_investment\"><\/span>Understand your return on investment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>People with advanced degrees earn more money than those with a bachelor\u2019s degree; they also face lower unemployment rates, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.<\/p>\n<p>But not all graduate degrees offer equal returns.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Edwin Koc, director of research, public policy and legislative affairs for the National Association of Colleges and Employers, says earnings increase 100% if you go from a bachelor\u2019s degree in biology to a master\u2019s degree. The benefit isn\u2019t nearly as great for those with history degrees, he says.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Also on MarketWatch: <\/strong>How COVID-19 protocol at University of Illinois reduced infections after a recent spike<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear how much you might gain financially from a certificate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt might translate into better prospects for you,\u201d Koc says, \u201cbut I don\u2019t have the data to support that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You can find data like <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>n earnings for some graduate-level programs in the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/collegescorecard.ed.gov\/\" class=\"icon none\">College Scorecard<\/a>. That can help you estimate if a program is\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/loans\/student-loans\/is-college-worth-it?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_content=872512&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com\" class=\"icon none\">affordable<\/a>. Ideally, your total monthly loan payments would be no more than 10% of your take-home pay.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind that those payments can be paused if you\u2019re enrolled at least half-time, but interest may accrue on all your loans, further increasing the amount you owe.<\/p>\n<p>Sommer also recommends reaching out to professional organizations to understand how a school or certificate is perceived. For example, he says there are plenty of accounting organizations across the country to contact, if you were interested in such a program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOr even just find a CPA in your town,\u201d he adds, \u201cand say do you know anything about the program at (a specific) university?\u201d<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_from_NerdWallet\"><\/span>More from NerdWallet:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<ul class=\"articleList\">\n<li>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/loans\/student-loans\/ask-brianna-paying-graduate-school?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com&amp;utm_content=872512\" class=\"icon none\">How to Pay for Grad School: 5 Strategies for Students<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/loans\/student-loans\/average-student-loan-debt-graduate-school?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com&amp;utm_content=872512\" class=\"icon none\">What Is the Average Student Loan Debt for Graduate School?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdwallet.com\/article\/loans\/student-loans\/pay-student-loans-graduate-school?utm_campaign=ct_prod&amp;utm_source=syndication&amp;utm_medium=wire&amp;utm_term=anne-stanleymarketwatch-com&amp;utm_content=872512\" class=\"icon none\">Do You Have to Pay Student Loans in Graduate School?<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"editorcomment\">Ryan Lane is a writer at NerdWallet. Email: rlane@nerdwallet.com.<\/p>\n<div data-layout=\"\n              inline\" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n        media-object\n        type-InsetCommentingPromo\n            \n            inline\n  article__inset\n        article__inset--type-InsetCommentingPromo\n            article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"byline article__byline\">\n<p>      <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author  hasMenu\" data-scrim='{\"type\":\"author\",\"header\":\"Ryan Lane\",\"subhead\":\"The Wall Street Journal\",\"list\":[]}' itemscope itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<h4 itemprop=\"name\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ryan_Lane\"><\/span>Ryan Lane<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/news\/story.asp?guid=%7B6F5061D6-0F2A-11EB-AF2B-AE3158C21537%7D&#038;siteid=rss&#038;rss=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;# How do I know if grad school is worth it? &#8221; What to think about if you\u2019re considering continuing your education This article is reprinted by permission from NerdWallet. College enrollment is down overall compared with last year due to the coronavirus. But the economic effects of the pandemic may actually be pushing some&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":94124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94123"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94123\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}