Investing in Graduate Education: Is it Worth the Cost?

With New Student Orientation just a week behind us, the SP2 admissions staff and myself are already looking ahead to meeting a talented and diverse new class of potential students.  A question that most students ask themselves, and should ask, is whether investing in a graduate education is worth the cost.  The short answer is a definite ‘yes’ but rarely does one hear why exactly that is the case.  Many studies have been done over the years showing the benefits of earning a college degree; the oft touted statistic that earning a Bachelor’s degree leads to over a million dollar increase in lifetime earnings.  The story is very similar for graduate students; the correlation is very strong between education attainment and lifetime earnings, the higher the level of education, the higher the earnings. 

Financing an education at Penn SP2 is a significant investment.  However, investing in education is nearly universally one of the best investments one can possibly make.  Both anecdotally and empirically, investing in a graduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice leads to more career opportunities, higher earnings and increased career mobility. 

If you are concerned about your ability to finance your education, please feel free to contact me at light@sp2.upenn.edu.  I can speak with you about your options, including loans, School grants and scholarships, and outside scholarships. 

Best of luck in your graduate search,

Michael Light

Director of Financial Aid