Graduate College Happier: Find the Best School at the Best Price

In our previous Graduate College Happier posts, we discussed thinking of college as an investment and choosing your career rather than your major. Our series continues today with a look at how to go about finding the right school at the right price for you.

Find the Best School at the Best Price

Certain schools cost more than other schools.  If one school costs $200,000 for 4 years of tuition, while a different school cost $35,000 for 4 years of tuition, what is the more expensive school doing for you at a price tag of $165,000 more?  Are they providing scholarships, better academic quality, enhanced networking, or other benefits?

Many college bound students dig through each college’s website buried financial information to find the answer to this exact question.  This can be a time-consuming, exhaustive process.  But here’s the good news.  The National Center for Education Statistics makes comparing colleges easy.

With the National Center for Education Statistics you can find out how much your school costs, if your school is accredited, and much more.

Educational accreditation is a process where schools work to meet third-party external standards to ensure that you are getting a quality education.  Be very cautious about attending schools that are not accredited.

Our Graduate College Happier series continues next week with Resumés Require More Than Just Your Degree.