<p>The updated figure I was given a month ago for the cost of the 4 year WP experience is $478,000 ($187,000 for the academic portion).</p>
<p>when i had my appointment given to me, my liasion officer gave a little speech on me and the academy. he said the education was valued around $330,000.</p>
<p>"he said the education was valued around $330,000"
Congratulations trump2811. His information was outdated.</p>
<p>no, 330,000 to 350,000 for the whole 4 years. my typo, sorry.</p>
<p>THis is so wierd I want to know the answer to this exact same question for the exact same reason I just kept for geting to ask the question on this web site. WHat makes it more strage is that my mom has 3 boys like the writer of this post surreal right? anyways I just thought I should say something.</p>
<p>"Estimated Cost of a West Point Education"</p>
<p>Lest anyone forget,</p>
<p>Sometimes the price is paid on both sides of the deal.</p>
<p>Indeed, the cost of a WP education is given in financial terms, the price that is paid in return is not....no one should ever forget that.</p>
<p>I posted the updated figure from admissions because it is a topic that is often raised when the awards are given out this time of year.</p>
<p>Considering the sacrifice the cadets make and the mission of the USMA, it seems that the "tuition" cost at USMA is the highest of any college in the USA.</p>
<p>Currently, in Iraq, USMA grads are 4% of all casualties, the highest of any conflict in recent history - I think Vietnam was 1.5%. Korea even lower, and WWII a fraction. So, how does that factor in with the "free" education? Should we deduct it by $100,000? $200,000? Or beyond value, making this education the most expensive?</p>
<p>I figure USMA is not a college, it is not a university. It is officer training which happens to offer a degree.</p>
<p>"making this education the most expensive?"</p>
<p>No, but perhaps the most meaningful.</p>
<p>A local WP grad said that he found it to be something like $448,000 or $468,000. In the end, we can all agree that it's a heck of a lot of money!</p>
<p>Tuition = $0
Room = $0
Board = $0</p>
<p>The value of a West Point education = PRICELESS!</p>
<p>Congratulation Class of 2007</p>
<p>Just remember, as they say, whatever the cost, its crammed up your butt a nickle at a time ;)</p>
<p>That is a great book.</p>
<p>(Absolutley American)</p>
<p>LOL</p>
<p>Took me a sec to remember where I'd heard that!</p>
<p>you all make a good point. it's important to remember we are definitely paying- just with years of service, not money.</p>
<p>to put the monetary value of a USMA education in perspective, the cost of maintaining an enlisted soldier on active duty is about 100k a year</p>
<p>Massive topic & depends upon individual viewpoint. I entered in summer 1977. I was instructed to take only a change of undergarments (t-shirt, shorts & socks) & NO MORE THAN $10 [the money wasn’t useful for about 4 weeks]. As a ‘plebe’, I got $50 to my personal checking acct for basic use (replace daily supplies like tooth paste, shoe polish, ect.) while the rest was used for (in my case, ‘boodle’ - snacks, candies, misc stuff that I wanted). We were actually ‘paid’ more than $50 (if I remember correctly, the rough rule of thumb was 1/2 of a 2nd lieutenats salary) which went into our ‘cadet account’. This ‘cadet accout’ paid for our uniforms, books & misc supplies which “we” didn’t have to worry about paying for - it was all automatic. [This included the class ring, which the class of 81 was in the ‘gold inflation bubble’ of late 70’s/early 80’s – an issue with Balfour company as I remember.] The ‘monthly’ allotment we received in person account, increased each year - I think it was late my 2nd year before my ‘cadet account’ was actually in the “black”. (You owe them for at least the first year - no way around it back then.)<br>
I suppose the absolute bottom line is, at least when I went thru, you were never a ‘specialist’ - you were a ‘generalist’. You knew something about most things but were never an expert in anything! I couldn’t ever get a highly technical job out of the academy, BUT I knew alot about a wide range of subjects so my options were dramatically increased. (I couldn’t BE an engineer (given my choices of concentration) or a chemist or an architech - but I KNEW something about each of those fields & had a good chance to at least be in some sort of ‘supervisory’ capacity. </p>
<p>My lesson learned from West Point is … “Be a generalist unless you KNOW EXACTLY what you want to do.” A ‘generalist’ is ALOT more flexible in what they do/can do/willing to do than a ‘specialist’. </p>
<p>Personal example: I concentrated in Chemistry (WP couldn’t get an accredidation in my time for a Chemistry BS d/t lack of lab time — I think there is more flexibility now – so I graduated with a BS in ‘General Science’.) I am now a nuclear pharmicist (combination of WP training plus some addtional training, plus Pharmacy school (2.5 yrs) — I went ‘Chemical Corps’ out of the Point so had a good working knowledge of radioaction physics from my Army background.) I started out as a hospital pharmacist but didn’t like the hours/work conditions. Clinical pharmacy calculations are VERY similar to radioactive decay calculations of my military career. I’ve had a few training sessions – mostly state/federal directed - to become qualified as a nuclear pharmacost. At least 50% of the training (outside of actual pharmacy), I could’ve done or qualified as just from my military training. </p>
<p>The ABOSLUTE BOTTM LINE of my education is/was - West Point education (academic & personal discipline; no matter how ‘bad’ it seems to be at the time) really CANNOT be measured in $ amounts. The “education” an individual receives is FAR more than the mere academic ‘achievements’ on some sheet of parchment. The experience WILL change the individual on a fundamental level. </p>
<p>(Laugh and chuckle at that statement all you want - go thru 4 yrs, spend a few more yrs out in reality then talk about it! YOU WILL BE CHANGED!!! Your best friends from high school trying to ‘get by’, ‘scam the system’, whatever WILL **** you off! Laugh & chuckle now… then go thru the experience … you will see!!! But if your employer REALLY needs something done, something that cannot be left to chance or haphazard attention … your employer WILL call upon YOU to handle it … and it will probably ‘suck’ … that’s why you will be called upon to handle it - cause you will get it done if it can be done!!! )</p>