Tech Billionaire: College Is Worth the Cost, Just Be Smart About It

Parent Cafe
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<p>"Is college worth the cost?</p>

<p>There is an on going debate in this country on just that question given the skyrocketing costs of higher education and the lingering debt burden that can take years for students to repay. The student who graduated in the class of 2009 had an average of $24,000 in student loans. But that's just the average. Some students are accountable for sums totaling $100,000. ...</p>

<p>... The Daily Ticker's Henry Blodget sat down with LinkedIn co-founder and chairman Reid Hoffman to get his opinion on the college debate. Like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, Hoffman has been super successful. When the professional social networking site went public last May, his stake in the company was $1.7 billion. But unlike the aforementioned tech gurus, the LinkedIn co-founder has degrees from both Stanford and Oxford Universities.</p>

<p>Now in his mid-40's, Hoffman has become a world-renowned entrepreneur and venture capitalist, having invested in more than 100 technology companies during their infancy, including Facebook and Zynga. He believes college is important, but should be viewed as an investment.</p>

<p>'I think definitely a lot of people should go to college, [but] I think the thing is to be thoughtful about it,' says Hoffman. His says it is 'critical' to consider the 'ROI,' or return on investment, one will earn on that college degree after graduation. 'For colleges, they are very expensive and that is why you have to be serious about what it is you're doing and think about [whether] this college expense is going to be the one that is right for me.'" ...</p>

<p>Interesting perspectives. Article has some good supporting links.</p>

<p>Tech</a> Billionaire Reid Hoffman: College Is Worth the Cost, Just Be Smart About It | Daily Ticker - Yahoo! Finance</p>

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<p>I’m not sure what his point is exactly. He’s pretty vague. Yeah, college is good for many people, just don’t spend too much and consider what you want to do when you plan your education. He mentions “ROI” with no real definition or metric. Not exeactly a detailed roadmap AFAIC.</p>

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<p>When considering the “return on investment” one needs to consider nonmonetary rewards. I get tired of business people only seeing the world in terms of dollars and cents. There are a lot of intangibles to consider. Quality of life enhancements in future years with the academics and experiences that can’t be replicated elsewhere comes to mind.</p>