Compare Net Cost, Not Just Published Tuition
The least expensive sticker-price program is not always the lowest-cost choice, and the most expensive program is not automatically a poor value. Compare the complete financial picture.
Funding sources to investigate
Start with price context: see cost-conscious programs and the residency/modality caveats.
- Merit scholarships: often tied to early/priority application rounds.
- Graduate assistantships: may include stipends and/or tuition benefits, but availability varies sharply by program.
- Employer tuition assistance: particularly relevant for part-time and online students who keep working.
- Veteran/military benefits: verify eligibility directly with the institution and VA resources.
- Federal/private borrowing: compare interest and repayment terms, not merely monthly payment.
Opportunity cost matters
A 10-month full-time program can have a higher economic cost than tuition alone because of foregone salary. A two-year part-time program may let you keep more income but delay the post-degree salary benefit. MSITM.com’s ROI model makes that tradeoff explicit.
Compare these numbers
- Tuition + mandatory fees
- Scholarship/assistantship value
- Incremental housing/travel cost
- Foregone earnings
- Loan interest
- Expected salary change
- Time until completion