Is College Still Worth It?

What the data shows about long-term value, and how Georgetown McDonough develops leaders to pursue what matters.

Key Takeaways

• Public confidence in higher education has declined as costs rise and career paths become less predictable.
• Long-term data continue to show strong earnings and career advantages for college graduates, especially in business and STEM-related fields.
• The value of college is rarely realized all at once. It grows as careers evolve into leadership, responsibility, and service.
• Georgetown McDonough defines value through transparent outcomes, sustained career support, and leadership development that extends beyond the first job.
• For many students today, “worth it” means optionality, credibility, and the ability to pursue what matters while making a meaningful impact.

Public confidence in higher education has shifted sharply over the past decade. Rising tuition, concerns about student debt, and a rapidly changing labor market have led many students and families to ask a more direct question: Does college pay off?

Earlier this year, The Washington Post, in partnership with Gapminder, published an interactive opinion piece examining how Americans perceive the value of a college education. The analysis found that only about 35% of Americans now say college is very important, down from roughly 75% 15 years ago. It also highlighted a persistent disconnect between perception and long-term outcomes, with many people underestimating the financial and career impact of earning a degree.

At Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, listening to changing expectations has long been part of the school’s identity, grounded in a commitment to educating leaders who serve more than themselves. For more than two centuries, Georgetown has adapted its educational mission in response to societal needs, economic shifts, and the evolving responsibilities of leadership, with the understanding that business decisions shape not only markets, but communities, institutions, and lives.

Instead of treating the question as a simple yes or no, Georgetown McDonough frames it around conditions: under what circumstances does higher education deliver lasting value, and how should students evaluate that value in careers that are increasingly nonlinear?

What the Data Still Shows About College Value

Concerns about affordability are grounded in real experience. Pew Research Center reports that only 22% of U.S. adults say the cost of a four-year degree is worth it even if loans are required, while nearly half say it is not worth the cost.

At the same time, long-term labor market data continue to show a consistent education premium. Research from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce finds that bachelor’s degree holders earn a median of about $2.8 million over their careers, roughly 75% more than workers with only a high school diploma. Graduate and professional degrees often yield even higher lifetime earnings, particularly in business and STEM-related fields.

These gains rarely appear all at once. The largest returns tend to accumulate as individuals move into roles that require judgment, leadership, and accountability over time.

As Paul Almeida, dean and William R. Berkley Chair of Georgetown McDonough, explains:

“The return on investment for your education is not about short-term gains. It’s about equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to lead with purpose. Our graduates are prepared to address the world’s most complex challenges, adapt and innovate in dynamic environments, and use business as a force for good in the world.” 

How Georgetown McDonough Defines Long-term Value

For students considering business education, value is often evaluated through outcomes that can be observed and compared. Georgetown McDonough reports that the Full-time MBA Class of 2025 earned an average base salary of $146,265 and an average signing bonus of $33,768, with 78% of graduates receiving job offers within three months of graduation. Georgetown McDonough also placed 5th for salary increase in the 2026 Financial Times Global MBA Ranking, driven by a 145% salary increase from the Class of 2022 from the time they enrolled to three years after graduation.    

The Executive MBA program also received top accolades in the Financial Times ranking, placed 1st in the United States (and 2nd globally) for career progress. 

These outcomes reflect intentional preparation rather than chance. Career coaching, alumni engagement, and experiential learning help students translate academic experience into early momentum while building a foundation for long-term growth.

Undergraduate business education follows a different timeline, but outcomes still matter. Graduates of McDonough’s Undergraduate Programs report a 97% employment rate within three months of graduation, an average starting salary of $102,780, and an average signing bonus of $9,995. These results place McDonough among the top undergraduate business programs nationally and reflect strong employer demand across consulting, finance, technology, and other competitive fields. Outcomes are supported by internships, individualized career coaching, and sustained employer engagement throughout the curriculum. Independent rankings from Poets&Quants for Undergrads consistently recognize Georgetown McDonough for undergraduate career outcomes.

Georgetown McDonough’s specialized masters also produce strong career outcomes relative to their fields. According to the Master’s in Management employment report, 97% of the Class of 2025 received their job offer within six months of graduation, and 95% accepted their offer in a range of career opportunities around the globe. The Master of Science in Business Analytics program reported top career outcomes in their post-graduate roles, earning an average base salary of $123,250 and an average salary increase of 30%. 70% of students changed jobs within six months of graduation.

Georgetown McDonough emphasizes transparency around outcomes while avoiding guarantees. Employment data are presented as evidence of alignment between curriculum, career preparation, and market demand, not as promises.

How a McDonough Education Carries Forward

One of the clearest measures of a Georgetown McDonough education is what happens after success. Not only where alumni go, but also how they remain connected to the people and possibilities that follow them.

For many graduates, the value of their education becomes most visible years later, when experience deepens judgment, leadership expands responsibility, and success creates opportunities for others. That throughline is central to how McDonough defines long-term value: education that compounds not only in individual careers, but across a community.

That ethos is reflected in centers such as the Steers Center for Global Real Assets, which grew from McDonough’s real estate finance initiative into a center connecting students with industry leaders, mentorship, and real-world insight across market cycles. The center reflects a belief that students benefit most when learning is informed by those who have navigated complexity and understand responsibility over time.

The center was shaped through the involvement of Robert Steers (B’75). From his perspective as an investor and alumnus, the real return of a business education is not defined by a single role or moment, but by the ability to exercise judgment, steward institutions, and contribute meaningfully over decades. That long view informs the Steers Center’s emphasis on mentorship, experiential learning, and preparing students to think beyond immediate outcomes.

By creating pathways for students to learn from those who have gone before them, McDonough reinforces a model of education rooted in continuity and care. Alumni success actively shapes the student experience, ensuring that each generation benefits from the perspective and commitment of those who came before.

Beyond Earnings: How Students Define “Worth It” Today

For many students today, salary alone is an incomplete measure of value. Surveys consistently show that Gen Z and Zillennials prioritize flexibility, purpose, and long-term credibility alongside compensation.

That broader definition of value is central to Georgetown McDonough’s mission. Strong salary outcomes matter, but the school’s enduring impact is measured by the leaders it develops to pursue what matters and the legacy they leave through their work.

As Sudipta Dasmohapatra, professor of the practice and senior associate dean of MBA programs, notes:

“Careers today rarely follow a straight line. What endures is the ability to think analytically, adapt quickly, and make sound decisions when conditions change. A business education should give students those tools early, so they are prepared not just for their first role, but for the many transitions that follow.”

In policy-adjacent and financial leadership roles, credibility and trust also matter. Reena Aggarwal, Robert E. McDonough Professor of Finance and director of the Georgetown Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy, adds:

“Technical expertise opens doors, but long-term credibility comes from judgment and trust. Leaders who understand risk, governance, and responsibility are better positioned to create value that lasts, especially when the stakes are high.”

So, Is College Worth It?

Concerns about cost deserve serious consideration. But long-term data continue to show that education, particularly when aligned with career goals and market demand, can deliver substantial value.

The more useful question for today’s students is not whether college is worth it in the abstract, but which program, at what net cost, with what outcomes, and in service of which long-term goals.

For those weighing whether a business education is worth it, the experiences of graduates from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business offer a clear answer. Their careers reflect early opportunity, sustained guidance, and a foundation that supports growth, leadership, and impact well beyond the classroom.