You have a degree that will help you get your foot in the door and you have the knowledge that will help you get a good reputation, but an advanced knowledge may be necessary to take your career to the next level. Find out how much you can expect to spend on your degree and then focus on how much you could potentially earn.
How Much Does It Cost to Earn a Master's Degree?
The first step to determining whether or not graduate school is worth the cost is finding out how much you will spend on to earn your degree. The tuition to attend a graduate school can range significantly. Currently, the average cost to attend grad school is between $30,000 and $120,000. The national average is reported to be $40,000, but it will cost more to attend a private university with a critically-acclaimed computer science program. It is very important that you compare tuition costs and other educational expenses as you can and weigh the pros and the cons of getting your master's.
How Long Does it Take to Earn Your Master's
After you spend 4 to 5 years studying for a bachelor's, you are excited to exit student life and enter professional life. Unfortunately, it is not long after you start to get professional experience that you realize that everyone competing for the next level has a master's. The typical master's degree program will take 2 years to earn when you are studying full-time. If you are working and studying part time, you can expect to spend 3 to 5 years studying. You need to value your time and decide if giving up your social life and possibly some professional opportunities is worth it while you are in school.
How Much Will You Earn With a Master's?
To really assess the return you will get with a master's degree, you need to determine how much you will earn once you get your advanced degree. The statistics show that graduates of computer-related graduate degree programs earn significantly more than those with 4-year degrees. The jump is much higher in this field than it is in other fields like math, communications and social sciences.
When you hold your Master's degree majoring in Computer Science, you can expand your career horizons. This is why a Computer Science master's is actually ranked number 2 on the Forbes list of the best options today. Be sure that you take the time to choose the right school that has a respectable Master's in Computer Science program, and you will be on your way to a field that is steadily expanding.