<p>I'm an M.S applicant to various schools in the field of Human Computer Interaction and Human Factors. I have received some acceptances from big name schools such as Bentley (33k/yr), Tufts(25k/yr) and University of Michigan(36k/yr), unfortunately without funding. I'm a California resident and also received acceptances to 'safety' in-state schools (San Jose State, Cal State Long Beach - both ~7.5k/yr) which are a ridiculous amount cheaper. </p>
<p>I have no debt coming out from undergrad since I lived at home and saved money. I'm worried about taking an enormous loan to finance an education at a school where name might not really make a difference in the salary of a job. </p>
<p>My #1 choice would be to attend Bentley, where I got accepted to a dual MS/MBA program. Unfortunately the overall tuition cost would be 66k. An in-state school would cost ~15k total. Is a 51k difference in tuition worth it for two degrees over one? </p>
<p>If anyone could please shed some light on whether its worth it to pay to go to a school with a big name or simply suck it up and attend a lower ranked school in order to graduate with very little, if any debt. I'm having a hard time putting prestige aside, I've been told it doesnt matter once you find your first job and have industry experience. </p>
<p>Also, it might be important to note that since human factors / hci is a fairly new field to get a degree in the programs aren't really ranked. I have to judge more based on what my professors have told me and the overall rank of the department the program is housed in, like psychology or mechanical engineering, etc.</p>
<p>If you’re going to end up looking for a job in California, Bentley and Tufts really aren’t that “big-name.” They might be recognizable in Massachusetts, but they have little to no “name grab” out west. I actually had to look up Bentley.</p>
<p>Furthermore, think about what $75k means in terms of monthly payments and your debt load.</p>
<p>Honestly, it seems like these schools are trying to sucker you into cash-cow programs. A lot of MS students are funded - you should look for a program that will offer you an assistantship.</p>
<p>Because of its proximity to tech-related employers in the Silicon Valley, I would choose San Jose State. If you can’t get funding from these so-called “big time” schools, you can at least use your location in San Jose to network with these companies, and hopefully land a job immediately after you get your masters.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. Bentley just notified me that I would receive 30k in funding over two years through a research assistantship. That brings the total down to ~40k total for two degrees vs 15k.</p>
<p>Paying off 40k over 10 years at 6% is 448/month . . . every month . . . for 10 years.</p>
<p>Part of your calculation could be what the debt load difference would be and whether you are comfortable with it . . . so, do the math :-)</p>
<p>Other factors . . . where do the jobs tend to be located in your field? Are there specific companies you’re interested in (probbaly not). What could you get a Bentley that you could not get at SJSU? Have you ever lived back east and would you be OK with that? How much do you value/need your friends and family around?</p>
<p>If your only reason for preferring Bentley is that it has a better rep, then the answer is “no, it isn’t worth it.” But if there are compelling reasons that Bentley is a much better fit for you than SJSU, then it might be . . . as long as you don’t mind being in debt that much for that long.</p>
<p>See how this all gets back to what YOU want :-)</p>
<p>Not to mention that’s only tuition cost, with no support for your cost of living. If you have an assistantship, it’s not likely that you’ll have time to pursue outside employment, so you’ll have to borrow additional money to pay for rent, food, etc.</p>
<p>I just don’t think it’s worth it unless you’re independently wealthy and money isn’t a factor.</p>
<p>Of course. But his funding letter should have spelled out any tuition waiver. If it didn’t… there may not be one. Smaller universities often don’t have the same levels of funding available - or it may not be a “full-time” (20hr/week) assistantship.</p>
<p>Per Bentley’s graduate financial aid Web site, RA positions there grant “partial to full tuition remission” depending on the award. So, it appears clear that the OP only received partial funding.</p>
<p>Nope not worth it. Try to find a job that will pay for master’s training. Contrary to popular belief, you should be trying to spend as little as possible throughout your entire life on education–take it from someone who racked up a lot of student loan debt.</p>
<p>Do not go into big/serious/overwhelming debt (a good rule to live by for most aspects of your life)! 10-15 years from now you will give yourself a huge thank you! You do not want to place yourself in a position where you are making a decision (ie. taking a less than desirable job or living in a place you hate working a job you hate) because you have a big debt payment every month. Be very cautious with any debt!</p>
<p>Congratulations on your acceptances and assistantship! That’s great.</p>
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<p>My question is more personal. You do NOT want to be getting married and having a kid with a large amount of that debt hanging over your shoulders.</p>
<p>Are you in a serious relationship right now? Does s/he appear to have any small inclination towards marriage? If you are a man, is she nearing 26-27? Are you a woman nearing 27? (If you are a gay man, lucky you, LOL!)</p>
<p>A lot of women I know got the baby bug BAD at 27-28, mainly hormones but also because they wanted to have their first baby before 30, as is recommended.</p>
<p>Right now $448 seems small compared to the salary, but if you plan to marry and have kids in the next ten years (i.e. you have a partner and you’re over 25) then I would strongly recommend against it.</p>
<p>If you’re single and in your very early twenties (say, 23-24 tops), have no desire to get married, and could plausibly put off marriage and a baby for another ten years even if you met someone today, then heck, why not? Do be sure to pay down that loan like a ■■■■, though.</p>
<p>“Human Factors” has been around for a long time in Europe; I think I first encountered it more than 15 years ago. IIRC, the person (educated in Europe) was involved in the creation of computer icons that would be universally understood and was working at a high tech think tank. Given the focus of your MS, my strong vote is for SJSU since it is in Silicon Valley. Job opportunities, contacts, etc. are so much greater there.</p>
<p>@Polarscribe, that is right no full tuition remission.</p>
<p>@MmeZeeZee. No, I’m actually young (turning 21 next month), but I’m finishing college a year early. I’ll be 23 when I finish my MS.</p>
<p>@CCsiteObsessed - I agree that its been around for a while as a part of various departments but from what I’ve heard colleges started offering specific degrees fairly recently?</p>
<p>Now my choice is between SJSU and CSULB. I agree with everyone that says SJSU +Silicon Valley is a great combination however, I really like the labs at Long Beach and am leaning towards that now. Plus its closer to home. LB has a 5 million $ grant from Nasa/Boeing for their research facility that provides research scholarships for HF students who do work on human factors aviation. They also have a hands on design and usability lab. From what I know I don’t believe SJSU has those same opportunities ‘in house’.</p>
<p>The connections you will want to be making are going to be industry-specific, so I’d definitely go to CSULB if they offer those opportunities that SJSU don’t. CSULB is also (in my opinion) in a nicer area. Nothing against San Jose, but that part of Long Beach is one of the little bubbles that feels safe and is close to LA and OC (something you already know since you’re a Southern Californian, too).</p>
<p>At 23, if you still have no long-term partner, I think that makes a difference.</p>
<p>I encourage you, at that time, to do what others have suggested: calculate your future monthly payments. Plan to pay it off by thirty at the absolute latest, when you will want to start putting all of that into retirement (you will already have started contributing, but by then you are very likely to have more significant family expenses).</p>
<p>Good luck! I graduated at 21. It was a fun decade, to have a degree and no obligations.</p>
<p>It is definitely not worth it. I took out a lot of loans for undergrad and it’s biting me in the butt now. Also keep in mind that you end up paying back more than what you actually borrowed. Those payments can be very burdensome, especially if you have trouble finding the position you want after graduation. Seriously, be careful with debt because it can really be a nightmare.</p>
It was a fun decade, to have a degree and no obligations.</p>