New tool helps measure the value of your college degree

When giving advice to students and families about choosing a college and determining how to pay for it, we tell them to look at the return on investment (ROI) of the degree.

The College Considerator is a new tool makes that even easier, by measuring the value of the student’s potential degree. This can help families and students figure out whether it’s worth paying for the college of their choice.

Determining a student’s likelihood of graduating college

According to Hechinger Report, the tool was developed by California Competes, a nonprofit focused on higher education. Their goal is to help “encourage students to make choices that will lead to college success.”

By focusing on the individual student, the tool can determine the student’s likelihood of graduation based on the rigor of their high school courses, their grades and their ACT or SAT scores, as well as attitudes about school and attending college.

The College Considerator helps students figure out what they want to get out of college and how much they should pay for it.

Tool can help prevent unnecessary college debt

But some worry that the tool could make students on the cusp of deciding whether or not to attend college choose to skip it altogether. And as we’ve written in the past, skipping college is a costly decision.

But so is starting college, taking on debt, and dropping out, since these individuals make, on average, no more than a person with just a high school degree, and they’re no more likely to be employed.

We like that this tool takes into the needs and goals of the individual student when deciding a college’s value, rather than assuming all students are the same and will have similar outcomes.

Our hope is that students who are unsure about whether a 4-year degree is right for them immediately consider an alternative option like community college in order to minimize their debt while they figure out which degree they want to pursue.

Individual attention important when choosing a college

Families and students can use tools like the College Considerator to help them make decisions about college, but it’s important to work with an advisor as well to make sure you’re maximizing your college options.

High school counselors are often overworked and can’t provide the personalized consulting your family might need. That’s why our experts work with students and families to carefully evaluate a student’s college options in the context of the student’s academic record and personal goals, as well as the family’s financial situation.

If you’re interested in learning how we can help you make college affordable for your family, give us a call toll-free at 1-888-234-3907 or contact us using this form and we’ll get back to you right away.