Would you hire someone who spent $125K on an umimpressive bachelor's degree?

This is a hypothetical question asked solely for the purpose of discussion.

I am asking this in relation to the thread about Full Sail U where you pay up to $100K for a degree that is not even RA. I was just musing on the thought that I might question the common sense of someone who I interview for a job if they were sporting bachelor's degree of questionable utility that they went into heavy debt to obtain. Especially if it were not even RA. I would ask myself whether they would have enough common sense to do a good job for me. I surely wouldn't hire them as a financial manager.

Of course, that would exclude anyone who held an expensive degree applying to a profession that required a such a degree. That may be expensive, but it is an investment.

 

According to the US Dept. of Education, for the 2009–10 academic year, annual costs for undergraduate tuition, room, and board were estimated to be $12,804 at public institutions and $32,184 at private institutions. For private institutions, then, the average cost is more than $128,000 for four years -- well above your $100K level.

Wouldn't your criterion make it difficult to hire anyone who did not attend a state university?

 

You are right. I'm going to revise my question to be a little more clear. Please look at it again now that I have changed it.

 

If I were hiring someone with a degree, my only question would be if the school was legitimately accredited. What the person paid for their education is their own business, and none of my concern.

 

If they are willing to spend their own money (or someone else's with loans) with such little regard for return on investment would you trust them to make decisions for your company?

 

My point exactly. Thank you for saying it better than I did.

 

It depends on what the degree was....if I were hiring someone to be the comptroller for my company and they had a creative writing degree, then I might question why the change in career goals, but I'm not going to look-up the tuition costs of every school I see on a resume.

 

Presuming I knew about the tuition costs and the financial decision making ability of the applicant was relevant to the position and they also had bad credit, yes I'd be apprehensive about hiring the person becuase they'd be a theft risk.

That's a lot of presuming and other factors that need to fall into place for that to happen however, and I'd imagine it'd affect a small number of applicants.

Far more likely that I'm never going to notice in the first place as I don't hire finance or cashier people. I do openly discriminate against UoP and Capella and make no bones about it, for far less reason.

 

May I ask why?

 

Experience with both schools and the graduates I've interviewed. Not impressed.

 

Do you feel that way about all online schools?

 

About schools that have online programs? No
About schools that are only online? - Depends on the school.

To those who are trying to paint a canvas such that this thread can explode into 10 pages of nonsense, stop. I have an issue with UoP and Capella based on my experiences which can certainly be different from anyone else's. I'm not telling anyone that their opinion should be different and I'm certain that no one here is going to change my opinion.

Not because I don't respect others' opinions but because they're not based on my experiences. If I hadn't routinely been interviewing people with significant experience and name brand degrees I'd probably not be comparing the online school people to the same population.

By the way: No school alone is going to get you past a recruiter. Some actually do get doors shut on you though.

Thanks

 

My question was not intended as an attack; I was curious. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

 

Understood. I'd just assumed that considering I've got one online only school on my resume/forum signature and UMass Amherst is known for its online MBA that the question would be self-answering unless I was hypocritically aligned

 

Would I hire the person with the expensive degree? Dunno.

If Daddy was the local mob-lawyer, owned a chain of funeral homes, endowed a wing of the school (or all 3) - that would explain how the degree was paid for.

If the person and his/her family were of normal (or below-average) means, then I'd be asking some more questions, for sure.

Best to have all the facts. Then you don't have to base your decision on one. A longish felony record - now that's a different matter!

Johann

 

Aren't you concerned that you may miss out on good people? I guess my CV would go into the barnfire!

 

Read back to my previous replies and apply the anti-snark comments to your post Randell. I discriminate against specific schools and your CV as far as I know based on your forum sig has neither on it.

As far as missing out on good people, not worried about it, at all for reasons having nothing to do with Capella or UoP.

 

What field are you in? Judging by your statements I would guess it is high tech, finance or academia.