A question for all folks having kids ready to go to the college. Which Undergrad Degree has the best ROI?
I'd say Information System (IS or MIS) as it's not overly difficult, an average student should be able to complete it, many state schools offer it (low debt load) and it pays fairly well. I know it's not as prestigeous as Computer Science but I think it has a very good ROI...
Thoughts?
The most important questions involve your child and not ROI:
The biggest annoyance I had with students was tutoring those who were going for a degree because "that is where the money is" and not necessarily because they liked that job/career. If you need a tutor for the first few classes in the degree that are prereqs for all the rest, you do not have the understanding/talent to get that degree and need to change majors.
If you are going to get a degree and NEVER USE IT (so many of my friends have kids in this category who decided they did not like the job after they graduated), change to something you enjoy/plan to use.
Personally, computer science is a major with one big problem...it can be done anywhere and there is constant outsourcing to India/etc. My kids tried programming in a high school JAVA class and HATED IT. They are doing well with their 2016 BS in CHEMICAL ENGINEERING and 2018 BS in MECHANICAL ENGINEERING.
not comp sci
You are asking entirely the wrong question. If you choose your career path based on "ROI" you're going to be miserable for the next 40+ years until you finally retire filled with regrets and a middle-class life not particularly different from if you'd actually enjoyed your college years.
Go fu-k yourself. This is a layoff post board. Don't post sh---y things like this.
First learn how to lie (not taught at any schools or even in homes), then get a degree in security and become a hacker.
Well since you are asking on the IBM board, your child's best chance of a successful career with the most ROI in our company requires a degree in Financial Engineering.
But don't forget, we are also hiring New Collar criminals too.
I agree with systems engineering. A lot of schools have it as IE or ISE. It’s by far the most applicable because you can go the process route, business route or technical route. I have 2 degrees in IE and I’ve been very successful and happy in my career. Flashback to undergrad, I started off as a civil engineering student and when I decided to switch over to IE a lot of friends and peers made jokes about how IE was an easy “imaginary” engineering degree.
You shouldn’t compare yourselves ever, for sake of this story I will, but I’m making at least 2 or 3 times all my classmates from civil or mechanical engineering. I also have an ever evolving and satisfying career in an innovative field.
Best ROI? Systems engineering. Hands down blows information systems degrees out of the water, and qualifies you for both business and engineering roles. And pretty much makes you a complete package if you decide to get an MBA.
I echo @rsk below - go with the JD, MD, or MBA
The bar has gone up. Aim them at the traditional Post Grad professions... that is to say, get JD, MD, or MBA.
Undergrad can be technical, of course, but Masters/Doctoral level is best bet these days. (IMHO)
We're heading into times where they'd be better of learning a trade. Welding is huge and pays well. You could do what some of these clueless parents have done and fork over $100-$200K for your little angels to obtain degrees in such riveting but useless subjects such as gender studies, climate science, or some other woke nonsense.
Computer science. It teaches you highly important critical thinking skills that go beyond tech knowledge. A sharp brain can take you to success in both your professional and personal life. The key is to use that brain though, and not every company will want you to do so.
This is only a valid question for this site if you are hoping your kid gets a layoff notice.
Go for comp sci, don't listen to these lowly paid ibm engineers
You can do IS and take all the important comp sci classes.
Lot of FANG companies hire from IS with cs minor.
The degree, which the child will use and like later on.
Otherwise they will keep switching around their life.
I would pick Climate Change...
Don't go into tech anymore... it is a useless field with ever decreasing money.
The cheapest one you can get! Undergrad is meaningless. Save your money for Law School
I suggest a more theoretical degree than MIS which will teach you about more current tech but a lot of that knowledge will be irrelevant a few years down the road...
I think a more theoretical/conceptual degree is much more valuable so that you can apply it however way you want to. So economics and applied math/stats would have really good roi in the long run.
The WSJ has a good tool for determining this, the link is below.
Go to the degree selector, choose Bachelors and Select Managemnt Information Systems and Services
Here is the link:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-a-graduate-degree-worth-the-debt-check-it-here-11626355788
The chart will give you how much you can expect to be paid 2 years after graduation and what the average loan load is.