Comments on: Is Private Education a Good Investment?

By: Bill Gassett

Bill Gassett — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:31:11 +0000

In my opinion a large part of education is what the individual puts into it. Of course there can be differences in education by being placed in a better school system but if the person has no desire to invest the time in bettering themselves it is doubtful the school will make a difference.

By: Jamel Rose

Jamel Rose — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:54:56 +0000

For me, going to public or private school is not a big deal. The most important thing is the education and not the name of the school or what.

By: Susan Tiner

Susan Tiner — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:47:57 +0000

I agree with Ethan. Also, a private school can integrate religious and secular learning, and for some families this is really important.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 14:16:46 +0000

I went to public school and feel that this was the best thing for me. I learned a lot and experienced many different things (not intended to mean anything disgusting) in a public school system.

I went to probably one of the worst schools in a terrible school system, but I experienced a lot and feel that I am a very successful person.

I don’t think that a private education would have benefitted me, and it definitely would not have been worth the money for my parents to send me to a private school.

Having said that, the debate is still going on as to where my newborn daughter will go to school…

By: GrandArch

GrandArch — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:19:10 +0000

Michael -
Do you have any sources for the idea that private schools have better facilities? I went from a public primary / secondary education in a well-to-do area to a top 25 private university and was surprised to find that some of the facilities were worse at the private university. Not having the state (in the sense of l’etat) fund it, the private university was reliant on tuitions and private donations, so it had a multimillion dollar endowment for flowers, but a substandard gym, no big stage for performances and no clocks in most classrooms. I don’t know if this is representative, but I can imagine a certain economic might provided by the state (perhaps in the way of mostly guaranteed funds), while tuition and private donations can be less consistent. For example, the top French colleges/universities tend to be run by the state, while the private schools tend to be underfunded (except for in business). Then again, this may only apply to the top few percent of schools, particularly in areas that fund their schools well.

By: Ethan

Ethan — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:28:02 +0000

I agree that the financial return is not there. But, I also think that’s an odd way to look at it. Retirement doesn’t have a financial return, nor does having children, nor does traveling, donating to charity or having a hobby. But they do have completely different sets of merits that lead many people to pursue them. Like most of those things, private education stands up very well on its own as a worthwhile expenditure rather than a financial investment. Considered financially, it is an end rather than a means to an end. You earn money so that you can afford to pay for a private education; you don’t pay for a private education so that you can earn more money. At least, that is the way I’ve always considered it.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:14:35 +0000

Parochial schools are on the low end of cost per year, with the average cost around $6,500 but some of the top schools (5%-10%) charge up to $38,000 a year, which throws off the averages a bit.

The discussion here is great and all of the points are valid but I think the very fact that the debate is somewhat even would suggest the actual investment to be a poor one. Each situation will undoubtedly be different and depending on your location you may feel private school is your only option but overall, I don’t feel the return is there.

By: Ethan

Ethan — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:19:42 +0000

Quality of education is not my primary concern when evaluating a school. Much more important is the peer group to which my child will be exposed. My own experiences across both public and private schools during my K-12 years has been that some private schools offer a significantly superior peer group with regard to attitude, moral standards, behavior and safety.

While I am college-educated and have a white-collar job, I don’t care if my son is a mechanic that never even finishes high school. I care that he be capable of planning and living a happy life and that he harms no one else in that pursuit of happiness. My involvement and his peer group will have a much bigger impact on that goal than will the quality or cost (in either direction) of his education.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:16:18 +0000

Enjoying the conversation here.

As to me personally, being from St Louis–the Land of Catholic Schools–I went to private school for grades 1-12, so I have no basis for comparison.

I’m also intrigued by the $17k figure. I know my high school cost $6k per year and grade school was less than that.

By: Monevator

Monevator — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:02:06 +0000

A lot of the time people don’t really choose schools for their children, they choose it according to how they want to be seen by their peer group.

I know I will be told here that parents want only the best for their kids and so forth, and I don’t doubt it’s true, but at least in the UK private vs public schooling stratifies around very clear social/class lines.