Cost of college versus the return on investement

For the New York Times, Arfa Momin and Ron Lieber charted median income of graduates, by college and major.

Your school can make a big difference — or matter very little — depending on the major. A graduate who studied mechanical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University earned roughly $10,000 more than a graduate from the University of Alabama. That difference is over $150,000 if those same graduates studied computer science.

You can also search for your college and major to compare.

There are correlation and causation considerations to make here, but the data from the Department of Education exists to hold schools accountable. If a school charges a high tuition, but graduates earn lower incomes, then the program is worth a closer look.

The charts in the NYT article are based on an analysis by the HEA Group, who have made their data available for download. [Thanks, Charlotte]