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Effective Education Quotient (E2Q)

Are College Degrees (particularly Ivy League Ones) Overrated?

By Pete Lorins

The answer to the above question depends on how you measure your return on investment (ROI) of the amount of money that you spend to fund your college education.

Each year hundreds of colleges and universities around the country or even world boast the reasons they should be attended by students. Most focus on the following metrics that often relate to their rankings and reputation:

  • Average Student Retention Rate

  • Graduation Rate

  • Tuition and Fees

  • Student-Instructor Ratio

  • Average # of Students Per Classes

  • Career/Job Placement Services

  • Post Graduation Networking

Although the above metrics are good indicators of a stable institution (i.e., those who have maintained a solid reputation and ranking , they don't always translate into a fulfillment of the post-graduation expectations that most college graduates reasonably have. Many will have expected to get reasonably great job offers on the basis of their qualifications or academic training, which often includes clinical, internships and externships etc.

We have developed an Effective Communication Quotient (E2Q) method to measure the effectiveness of a student's college education by correlating a student's obtained college education with his or her ability to readily enter or seamlessly enter a desired professional career. We decided to use data compiled via reliable probability and statistical principles to obtain degrees in which one is more likely to get great job opportunities (ranked by salary level). The date also includes a subclass of degrees which are harder to get due to the level of competition required from those who seek candidacy for them.

Using data retrieved from "TheBestDegrees.org" we have created our Effective Education Quotient (E2Q) based on the top 51 degrees for getting either a "good" or "great" job and making money.

We used a probability approach ranging from 0% to 100% (or 0 to 1) to help you position yourself along this spectrum. The E2Q percentile ("E2Q%") represents a student's likelihood of finding a job along that spectrum given a 5% standard deviation:

Degrees With Great Job Opportunities (Ranked by Salary)

1. MBA Degree in Technology Management (E2Q% = 99%) 2. PhD Degree in Computer Science (98%) 3. Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering (97%) 4. Master’s Degree in Education Administration (96%) 5. Master’s Degree in Geoscience (95%) 6. Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science (94%) 7. Bachelor’s Degree in Databases (93%) 8. Master’s Degree in Operations Research (92%) 9. Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Networks (91%) 10. Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (90%) 11. Master’s Degree in Epidemiology (89%) 12. Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology (88%) 13. Associate’s Degree in Respiratory Therapy (87%) 14. Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education (86%) 15. Associate’s Degree in Occupational Therapy Assistant (85%) 16. Associate’s Degree in Physical Therapist Assistant (84%) 17. Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice (83%) 18. Associate’s Degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology (82%) 19. Associate’s Degree in Health Information Technology (81%) 20. Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology (80%)

Degrees With Good Job Opportunities (Ranked by Salary)

21. Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Degree (79%) 22. Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (78%) 23. Master’s Degree in Physician Assistant Studies (77%) 24. Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree (76%) 25. Bachelor’s Degree in Radiation Therapy (75%) 26. Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy (74%) 27. Associate’s Degree in Dental Hygiene (73%) 28. Doctor of Chiropractic Degree (72%) 29. Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology (71%) 30. Doctor of Audiology Degree (70%) 31. Bachelor’s Degree in Communications (69%) 32. Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture (68%) 33. Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science (67%) 34. Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting (66%) 35. Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Science (65%) 36. Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction (64%) 37. Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Management (63%) 38. Bachelor’s Degree in Surveying (62%) 39. Master’s Degree in Library Science (61%) 40. Master’s Degree in Counseling (60%) 41. Associate’s Degree in Mortuary Science (59%) 42. Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work (58%) 43. Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems (57%) 44. Bachelor’s Degree in Health Education (56%) 45. Bachelor’s Degree in Athletic Training (55%)

Degrees with Good or Great Job Opportunities but School Admissions are Competitive (Ranked by Salary)

46. Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)/ Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) Degree (54%) 47. Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree (53%) 48. Doctor of Pharmacy Degree (52%) 49. Doctor of Optometry Degree (51%) 50. Master’s Degree in Health Administration (50%) 51. Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree (49%)

It is our hope that you will have found this information useful.

Should you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Dr. Pete Lorins,the Chief Editor of LorinsPOST.com. This article was sponsored by LORINS.biz a multi-industry consultancy firm providing services in engineering, law, education, business, and medicine.

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