Is MPH worth the Tuition/Loan burden?

[sapphirestorm]

Hi~

I have been accepted to a top tier school for MPH; the tuition is really high and I am wondering if the job I might get after

(Health Promotion program) would pay enough to make the cost of the degree worth it?

I did research months ago; maybe a year ago before I started studying for the GRE but now I have the weekend to decide. I have also been accepted at a less expensive school that actually gave me a small amount of funding; this school is ranked a lot lower.

If anyone has ideas about this, I would so appreciate it! (ps..I am an older student so the timeline on paying back the loans..well let's say I don't want to be paying the rest of my life!)

[steakit]

I was in a similar situation a couple of weeks ago. To attend the top tier (and more expensive) school in Public health with a small funding package, or to attend an unranked Sociology program with full funding. A friend of mine told me to think about these questions.

• which program will definitely help you move toward your goal; what is your next goal? does your school have the resources to help you?
  
• which is more important to you, money or the quality of the program; are you willing to let money guide your decision?
  
• can you see yourself living in the state of your program; can you see yourself being happy there?
  
• is this the state where you will be living in the future after school? will this program help you build the networks that will help you find a job or move on to your next career step?
  

I chose to go the Public Health route since because there were more resources not only at the school but within the city of the school. If you have any questions, you can PM me. Good luck!