“How Predatory Master’s Programs Get Away With It”

The article contrasts high-tuition, low-ROI master's programs like Northwestern's MA in Counseling, which it characterizes as "predatory," with lower-cost programs in similar fields such as those from Aurora University.

How Predatory Master’s Programs Get Away With It (Marc Novicoff, Washington Monthly, August 25, 2024)

 

Just like Smokey and the Miracles, my Mama told, you better shop around! It's important but be an informed shopper. Find someone to help guide!

 

I'm always a bit surprised by the series of bad decisions people have to make to find themselves that much in debt for a college program. I always thought a good "rule of thumb" is never to be in debt for your degree any more than one year's salary (maximum) of the job your degree will most likely provide. I think a lot of things come into play, though.

1. Magical thinking - "If I just believe in myself, I can do anything."
2. Entitlement - "I deserve the absolute BEST!"
3. Exaggerated value - "THIS degree will open every door!"
4. Underestimated value - (the reverse of above) "A degree from State College is WORTHLESS!"

I've heard lots of stories like this and it's like people are on a treadmill - trapped by their own illusions - not just with education, but buying houses, managing debt, lots of things. I head some story on the radio and this guy was saying he didn't get a promotion so, "he knew he had to go back and get a second Master's degree!" and he ran up a bunch of debt that they were having trouble covering. Dude, you have a credential that 86% of Americans don't have - if you can't leverage that into some kind of decent job you need a reality check.

 

Yeah, why do some people insist on not attending their own state schools? They're paying for it after all.

 

It all boils down to preference. Could I have attended the University of Oklahoma or Oklahoma State University? Definitely. However, my goal and dream was to attend Duke. So I did.

Now, where I work, virtually everyone has a degree from OU. It is not bad but it is not unique. Every person who asks me where I went to school turns into a 30+ minute conversation about Duke, their basketball team, etc. It has certainly helped me and is a great conversation starter if asked.

 

State schools have an arduous application process, which does not result in success for everyone. By the time one pays for and takes the SAT, GRE, orders transcripts, gets recommendations, the works, it can be dispiriting. For profit universities require some of this as well, but since they're motivated to enroll as many as possible, they have a kind agent to hold your hand, help grease and guide you through the process, answer questions, and give you tips on specific things to make your application a success. They help applicants deal with anxiety.

Public universities almost never do this.

Also some who are the first in their families to attend college may not be aware of the different types of universities, how they are priced, and how they are funded--and the consequences of their funding mechanisms for price, access to scholarships, and the acceptability of their degree.

 

Salesmanship, in other words. Interesting response.

 

That school in Durham is a wonderful institution and has a great network.

 

Sometimes the bureaucracy just isn't worth it.

I could have gone to San Diego State on the 12- year plan. Or I could have graduated from USNY's Regents program in 18 months.

When I was teaching at SDSU, it was the pre-internet days. Students would register for classes via "T-Reg" (telephone registration). They'd submit their requested classes by phone, and then await their schedules by mail. It was totally normal to get a schedule back with NO classes on it. You'd been shut out. Then, if you wanted to try go get into a class, you'd attend it while sitting on a waiting list--and often the floor--hoping enough students would drop the class so you could officially register. On the last Add/Drop day, the professor would come in, announce any last-minute adds, and dismiss all unregistered students. By then, of course, they were out of luck completely, because you could only "crash" a course by attending it, and it was then too late to crash another somewhere else.

It was so bad that I routinely had seniors--SENIORS!--going to community college to take ENG 300 (a required writing course) just to graduate on time because they couldn't get into the class at SDSU.

Parking (for students) was so bad that the lots were designed with only one way in and one way out. Students would pull up to a full lot and park, waiting for someone to leave. This could take hours. Students would study, sleep, have sex, whatever. When a car left the lot, the driver would honk the horn to alert the next driver in line that he/she could enter and park.

(NB: None of this was documented anywhere. It was a classic example of tacit knowledge--things people knew but weren't documented anywhere.)

They called parking passes "hunting licenses." But not the faculty. Our parking was great. As they say, the three keys to running a successful university is sex for the students, parking for the faculty, and football for the alumni.

 

This article discusses two highly-regarded non-profit universities. Their programs were run by a for-profit company, but private schools like this require the same admissions hurdles as state universities, if not more. While going to a high-ranking school can provide additional opportunities for business majors, the mental health field is going to be low-paying no matter where you go.

I knew a person who went to USC for her social work degree, and she accumulated a lot of debt. As anyone could predict, she didn't make a lot of money, and she wish she had gone to UT Austin. Really, there's nothing wrong with UT Austin. Their social work program is ranked high, and it was ranked high back when she was in school.

 

There's not much wrong with UT Austin period.

 

Well...

 

Okay, okay. UT Austin IS in Texas, I'll grant you that.

 

I got my master’s in interdisciplinary humanities from NYU. I have no regrets in life, but NYU was a tremendous mistake. I wanted a name, but I was so miserable there. No doors opened for me, but I’m so grateful for that. Otherwise, I would have never fallen in love with teaching. NYU does look good on my resume, but if I had the chance to go back in time, I would have chosen a New Jersey (in state) school, like Rutgers.