How much is an Argentine University education worth.

[PhilipDT]

I mean $$. Do they publish average salary figures for graduates like they do in the US?

I mean a 4 year degree at the UADE or the UCA comes out easily over $100k cheaper. That's real money that could be making real returns. But are the degrees as worthless abroad as you'd imagine they'd be?

I think it's a decent question, job market being what it is back in the states. Would it make sense for college bound americans to study here?

 

[citygirl]

100K cheaper than what?

Foreign students have to pay to study here. Between tuition costs to study here, plane fare, accomodations, etc - I would guess there are equally as inexpensive options in the US. Not private colleges of course but most states have a public educational system which isn't that expensive for in-state residents. And speaking of NY, which is the one I'm familiar with, there are some highly ranked and regarded public universities that are not that costly for residents.

I'm also not sure that there would be any benefit to studying abroad from a job perspective. One, you wouldn't have the alumni network at your disposal when you graduated (which is an important asset) and two, people in the US would have no idea about Argentine schools.

 

[PhilipDT]

I mean good private colleges. My little sister is finishing up school right now, end cost for just tuition will be around the $190k mark. Thats not counting all the other things you listed which would push that number much higher. That's many multiples of the cost of a private education here.

 

[nlaruccia]

I know that UADE cost around $300 US per month and you make 10 payments per year. The cost of books per term is around $40 US. That's not nearly as much as my friend is paying for her daughter to study in a university in the U.S. ($20,000/year for tuition). She wanted to study in Columbia but that's over $30,000 per year. Argentina is very affordable as far as education goes and the Universidad de Buenos Aires doesn't cost anything. The only problem is that you have two do a two year CBC program before entering the university to start your career.

 

[jb5]

Let's get the US prices straight here:

State colleges are the cheapest options. Most state have community colleges where kids spend under $10K per year, well under in many cases.

Then there are the better state U systems like SUNY in NY which cost between $20K (NY) and $30K for the UCs)California). Some states have a middle tier system like California's CSU system which is now about $20K. All of these prices include room and board.

Then there are thousands of private schools. The typical range for those is $35K to $60K per year, depending on location and quality.

The total cost for Columbia will be about $60K for the next school year, slightly more than most
other ivy league and other top colleges because of higher housing costs in NYC.

Is it worth it over studying in Argentina? IMO that depends on several things. What do you want out of life? If you want to be a global investment banker you'll need the ivy degree but a would be engineer, doctor or teacher can go anywhere and be able to get jobs in their desired fields. Though they might need additional training to work in other countries.

The second part is how much you can afford. If you can get in to a top US college and it's not a
financial strain, there are many advantages to attending one, most notably their global job networks. That degree will be recognized and respected throughout the world.

And keep in mind at the very top schools in the US over half of students get significant financial aid based on their parents' income, so if their parents make under $60K per year they attend free,and families making up to US $180K are given aid at 4 very top colleges. Other colleges give aid too as does the govt, but usually not as generous.The average financial aid package at an ivy league school is over $40K/ yr.

Take the example of an engineer. A newly minted one from UBA will find that q good starting salary is 5000 pesos. The same new engineer from an average or even less US college, let's say California State Chico, will be starting out at $55K or more. If UBA has the proper accreditation, you'll most likely have your choice of the two lives.

So you have to look at the full picture. For our kids we chose top US privates because we attended them and reaped many benefits throughout our careers.

 

[chris]

I very much doubt that foreigners from neighboring countries pay anything to attend UBA as undergraduates. I doubt that they could discriminate against a North American who wanted to attend, certainly not if he had permanent residence.

Ambitious Argentines do graduate degrees abroad to enhance their job prospects in Argentina and globally. A UBA degree is just fine if the student is sharp. I know many UBA graduates who have gone on to Ivy League universities or Oxford / Cambridge to do graduate degrees. Few students from the first world come to study in Argentina, especially as undergraduates - there is no advantage in doing so. Their degrees will not necessarily qualify them to work abroad. A medical degree from UBA will not be accepted in the US before the graduate has passed qualifying exams in the US. A professor could teach in a US university but a high school teacher would not have the qualifications to teach in the public system. Most likely any UBA undergraduate degree is going to require further course work / exams in the US to qualify for work there.

It's quite true that an Ivy League education is enormously expensive -- around $60,000 USD a year seems about right. By studying at UBA and getting a BA and then applying to a prestigious school in the US a student might very well be able to save a lot of money and still qualify for high end jobs. Keep in mind that an American student who earns a BA equivalent in Argentina will have to pass the same graduate record exams in the US if he wants to continue his studies and will have to convince the graduate school that his degree has merit. It could be a harder sell.

 

[jb5]

There's also some flexibility for US students to study at UBA and other schools abroad for the experience and to save money as well. My daughter, who's an undergrad at an ivy league school, spent a term at UBA and one in NZ, paying their rates which cut the cost of an expensive US education fairly significantly.

 

[chris]

Yes I know that some American students study for a term or so but they seem to pay through study abroad programs organized in the US in association with UBA. Now how would UBA react if an American were to enroll as a full time student? A Bolivian would be accepted - no fees. Could they impose fees on the American? I doubt it, probably just hasn't been tried by anyone who is not a permanent resident. I am sure that if I, with a DNI, enrolled at UBA that they would have to let me in without any special fees.

 

[citygirl]

I don't believe that is the case at all. I know a friend of mine from Colombia is paying to attend university in Argentina. I doubt you can't just show up in Argentina as a foreigner and enroll for free.

 

[chris]

Citygirl, Studying at UBA or a private university?
I can tell you that you can DEFINITELY show up from a neighboring country and send your kids to a state school. A friend is director of a state school, recently told me that his school is full of 'illegals' from neighboring countries.