Duke vs. Dartmouth

[gellino]

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I think the stupidest assumption I’ve read is that one’s alma mater is as important ten years after graduation as it is right after (or before) graduation. Ten years is quite a bit of time, and most people will have done a considerable amount of networking, further education, and/or career changes during that stretch of time – all of which can be entirely independent of one’s undergraduate college. An attempt to compare two college based on earnings ten years down the road is not very helpful; there are simply too many factors involved.

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<p>The WSJ study you’re basing the discussion on was for people in ‘mid career’, whose median they defined as 15 1/2 years out of school (not 10 years). It was also based only on those who did not attend any grad school in an attempt to isolate the effect of the UG school. While that pursuit is admirable, it isn’t that relevant considering that at Dartmouth, Duke and at least 50 other top schools, about 80% of alums go back for some type of graduate degree.</p>