What's a degree worth?

Staci

In my line of work, one of the things I stress to would-be student loan borrowers is to determine what their degree will be worth  after they graduate. That is, what kind of earning power will you have—and will it be enough to repay your loans?

Until about midway through my sophomore year of college, I was bound and determined to become a lawyer. I’d done well on my high school debate team and was fascinated by true crime novels. Plus, I’d seen more than my share of L.A. Law  episodes, so I was pretty sure a law degree would equal financial security.

All that changed during my first semester of Criminal Law, a requirement for my government major. After the first exam—on which I didn’t do too well—my professor asked me to come see him during office hours. He asked me what my career plans were, and I told him. Then he was quiet.

“Maybe,” he said, “the law isn’t your calling.” He asked if I’d given any thought to other possibilities. “For instance, you’d make a decent city planner.”

A city planner ? I was devastated.

Little did I know that as I aged, I would become more interested in the very things city planners, well, plan. For instance, transportation: When are all my routes to work not going to be under construction? And commercial development: When is there going to be a Pottery Barn  less than 150 miles away?

I didn’t go to law school. Instead I chose to pursue a less traditional path , one that led me to cities and jobs and people and experiences I never would’ve imagined. Eventually, the salaries caught up, too. In a sense, my degree ended up being worth much more than I expected.

Will yours?