ROI - PhD Vs EdD, or neither?

What are any of your thoughts on the ROI of a PhD? Especially vs EdD?

If the end goal is not R1 academia position, but more lower tier/CC/community use, would an EdD be perfectly acceptable if content of the two were similar?

How valuable is a PhD in the workplace/practical world? I'd love to see some hard data....tried Google but don't find much except anecdotal thoughts.....

 

I don't think a Ph.D. is a good return on investment for professional. If you are doing independent consulting on subject matter expert (SME) project, then a Ph.D. worth to consider. It is not wrong to earn a Ph.D. for teaching when you are retired from the professional job.

 

As an instructor at a small/medium-sized community college in the south, I will say that there are many within my school that have EdD or EdS degrees. Most probably obtained these while working, either through online or hybrid programs. Sometimes, schools will court our college directly to try to lure viable candidates to their respective EdD or EdS programs. Many who obtain these seem to do so as their ticket out of teaching and into the administrative end of the school: associate deans, deans, and directors of different departments within the school. They clearly seem to have value in that respect, if the aforementioned positions are your intended goal. On another note, I see way more EdDs and EdS degrees on campus than PhDs. My guess is this is flipped at the 4-year university level. Hope the above helps in your decision!