The cost of attending an American university tends to rise every year, and as those paying for a Jumbo education know, Tufts — with a price tag of $51,088 — ranked last year as the most expensive school in Massachusetts. This year, some schools are expected to hit the $60,000 mark for one year of tuition, room, board and fees, according to U.S. News and World Report, with New York's Sarah Lawrence College leading the way.
But with such high costs and a job market that is less than welcoming to recent graduates, it is hard to overlook the fact that there are quality degrees to be had for far less money abroad.
U.S. News reported that, over the last two decades, the number of American students studying abroad for one semester or more has quadrupled; few study there for graduate degrees, though.
Senior Valerie Moon, who participated in the Tufts−in−Madrid program for the entirety of the 2009−10 academic year, said that while in Spain, she often could not help but consider the benefits of studying in a foreign country full−time.
Learning a new language, gaining exposure to a new culture and paying less than half the money for one's education made the idea appealing, she said.
Additionally, while American universities are generally successful in advancing academic learning, Moon thinks they often fail to encourage education through other outlets and resources, like Moon's program in Spain promoted.
"Tufts keeps students so busy that lots of us find it very difficult to have a life off campus and learn from other sources, like museums, institutions, et cetera," she said. "In Europe, students and people in general seem so much more culturally aware just from actively being a part of their larger environments outside of the university."
At the end of her time in Spain, Moon returned to her studies at Tufts, but she is still thinking of heading back to Europe for graduate school.
She said many disadvantages are associated with studying abroad full−time, perhaps the most obvious being the distance from home, friends and family. The lack of the ever−romanticized American college experience, pestering bureaucratic responsibilities like applying for visas, and differing opinions on the caliber of academics abroad relative to those at prestigious U.S. colleges are also significant drawbacks, she said.
On top of all those uncertainties is the greatest of them all: whether foreign degrees are akin to American degrees in the eyes of American employers.
According to Donna Milmore, assistant director of Career Services, they might not be. It depends on the prestige of the university that issues them, she said.
"I doubt that U.S. employers would value a non−U.S. degree as highly as a Tufts degree," Milmore said.
On the other hand, she said, some employers seek applicants with a more global education. Experience abroad — whether for one semester or four years — can be a valuable tool in both marketing oneself and adapting to certain work environments.
The Tufts experience is valuable to many companies, Milmore said, in that it combines an American education with an emphasis on international affairs and a reputation for promoting experience abroad.
"The Tufts brand is very attractive to employers, and the inclusion of a semester studying abroad enhances a student's well−rounded, global profile," she said.
Further, Milmore said, when it comes to looking for employment, the advice and resources American universities have to offer is far better quality.
"Non−U.S. schools do not typically provide students the extensive career resources that are available at a college like Tufts," she said.
And when it comes to weighing the cost and quality of an educational institution, the price gets put on the back burner for some.
Esra Korkut, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Chemistry, came to the United States to earn a postgraduate degree after completing her undergraduate education in Turkey. She explained that while the cost is significantly higher, the resources available at American universities are more abundant than those at Turkish institutions.
"I chose to come to the United States to pursue my PhD because there are a lot of good universities with good opportunities here," she said. "To do research is easier than in my country. … Also, discipline is greater here."
Junior Martin Ribadeneira, who is from Ecuador, said that American degrees also streamline the process of starting a career in Latin America.
"Getting a job in my country if you have a degree from a prestigious American university becomes much easier," he said.
Access to higher education in the United States is not available to all, however, given the high costs involved.
"I had to get my undergraduate degree in Turkey because my family could not afford an education in" the United States, Korkut said.
She explained that in Europe, public universities are very accessible price−wise, and even European private institutions are significantly cheaper than public universities in America, let alone private schools like Tufts.
Universities abroad have also begun to appeal to American students by offering programs taught in English, like those at the University of Hong Kong, the University of Amsterdam and the University of Helsinki.
Moon said that the cost of an American degree makes it hardly seem worth the money when there are so many good alternatives abroad.
"European schools tend to be outrageously less expensive and oftentimes just as good of universities, academia−wise," she said.
Nevertheless, Moon said she still would have chosen to study in the United States if she had to make the choice again, because she believes higher education involves a lot more than just academics.
"The American college on−campus living is so specific to the United States and generates such unusual and close relationships between friends and peers," she said. "In Europe, people don't generally live on campus, so there isn't nearly as much varied interaction as there is at American universities."
Ribadeneira said there was, after all, a reason why so many people are willing to pay the cost associated with an American degree.
"Many people are willing to pay for this kind of education because of the opportunities that come with it," he said. "Compared to the educational systems available in Latin countries, schools like Tufts offer a well−rounded education and experience that broadens not only your academic but your personal horizons."
