Is a PhD in Science worth it?

[Anomalocaris]

Become a creationists.

Then you can have your very own Ph.D. from a non accredited "school" really cheaply.

That's a Ph.F, not a Ph.D.

[AceBoogie]

If you have to ask then  no. Do the PhD because you are passionate about the subject and learning and self improvement. It has to motivate you enough to get out of bed for the next three years and start working.I actually want to do a second one now, but doing a PhD has hurt me financially over my career and potential employers worry that I won't stick around. But I do benefit from having a PhD when applying for the few jobs which are suited to me.

I have to agree with this.

If you're looking for high paying degrees get into Finance or something. Or something like Petroleum Engineering.

Besides that, I think most degrees are only worth it if you're truly passionate about pursuing a career in that field. But that's just me. School is a major rip off in my opinion. But it's the "safe" option for most people and I would argue that most folks don't really have what it takes to be self made. It's a terrible situation for our country to be in but it's the reality of things for now.

[Alex K]

If you have to ask then  no. Do the PhD because you are passionate about the subject and learning and self improvement. It has to motivate you enough to get out of bed for the next three years and start working.I actually want to do a second one now, but doing a PhD has hurt me financially over my career and potential employers worry that I won't stick around. But I do benefit from having a PhD when applying for the few jobs which are suited to me.

I have to agree with this.

If you're looking for high paying degrees get into Finance or something. Or something like Petroleum Engineering.

Besides that, I think most degrees are only worth it if you're truly passionate about pursuing a career in that field. But that's just me. School is a major rip off in my opinion. But it's the "safe" option for most people and I would argue that most folks don't really have what it takes to be self made. It's a terrible situation for our country to be in but it's the reality of things for now.

Yes, US tuition fees are crazy. Oh, did I mention that my entire education was free over here? Even the parts I did at a US public university were sponsored by the German Academic Exchange office.

[AceBoogie]

Yes, US tuition fees are crazy. Oh, did I mention that my entire education was free over here? Even the parts I did at a US  public university were sponsored by the German Academic Exchange office.

That's awesome. Over here the standards for receiving grants for free education are insane. They basically expect you to be nearly homeless before they even consider giving you any more. And loans are absolutely ridiculous. It's certainly a broken system.

[Jehanne]

Yes, US tuition fees are crazy. Oh, did I mention that my entire education was free over here? Even the parts I did at a US  public university were sponsored by the German Academic Exchange office.

That's awesome. Over here the standards for receiving grants for free education are insane. They basically expect you to be nearly homeless before they even consider giving you any more. And loans are absolutely ridiculous. It's certainly a broken system.

I thought that California had free tuition, as least for undergraduates.

[AceBoogie]

That's awesome. Over here the standards for receiving grants for free education are insane. They basically expect you to be nearly homeless before they even consider giving you any more. And loans are absolutely ridiculous. It's certainly a broken system.

I thought that California had free tuition, as least for undergraduates.

I'm sure every state offers help for people going to community colleges and stuff like that. It's certainly helpful but at the end of the day even if you start your schooling at a community college and then go to a university that is, let's say, 15,000 a year... you'll be 30,000 in debt when all is said and done.

There are ways to get free schooling but a lot of times the standards for who they consider to be "in need of financial assistance" are a little ridiculous.

If an 18 year old kid wants to go to school but lives with his parents... oh well! Your parents household has too much income for you to be considered in need of assistance, so better tell your parents to pay up.... or take out a loan in your name with ridiculous interest rates. Your choice.

Like I said I'm sure it varies from state to state but in general they basically reserve financial assistance for those that are more or less poor. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but it leaves those in the lower middle-middle class in quite a precarious position. I'm not sure about any of you guys but my parents couldn't have afforded to send me to a four year university even if I would've wanted to go.

[Mermaid]

PhD's in science often get assistantships, so tuition is waived. Whether it's worth the angst or not is totally dependent on what you want to do with it. I didn't get one because I think it would make me harder to employ. It can narrow your scope significantly. If that works for you, great.
I work in industry, and biology PhD's are handsomely paid in general.

I saw a very significant jump in pay when I got my MS in biology. I suspect it would have been even more significant if I had gotten a doctorate.

[AceBoogie]

PhD's in science often get assistantships, so tuition is waived. Whether it's worth the angst or not is totally dependent on what you want to do with it. I didn't get one because I think it would make me harder to employ. It can narrow your scope significantly. If that works for you, great.
I work in industry, and biology PhD's are handsomely paid in general.

I saw a very significant jump in pay when I got my MS in biology. I suspect it would have been even more significant if I had gotten a doctorate.

When I graduated high school one of the substitute teachers I kept in touch with was telling me how her husband couldn't find work because his degree was too advanced for a lot of the positions in the area. Pretty sure they ended up moving out of state so he could find work. Couldn't tell you what his degree was in, though.

[Mermaid]

PhD's in science often get assistantships, so tuition is waived. Whether it's worth the angst or not is totally dependent on what you want to do with it. I didn't get one because I think it would make me harder to employ. It can narrow your scope significantly. If that works for you, great.
I work in industry, and biology PhD's are handsomely paid in general.

I saw a very significant jump in pay when I got my MS in biology. I suspect it would have been even more significant if I had gotten a doctorate.

When I graduated high school one of the substitute teachers I kept in touch with was telling me how her husband couldn't find work because his degree was too advanced for a lot of the positions in the area. Pretty sure they ended up moving out of state so he could find work. Couldn't tell you what his degree was in, though.

That is precisely the reason I didn't get one. I was in a program to study reproductive physiology in livestock but decided that it was not going to serve me well, and I haven't looked back. I have played my career like I'd play the stock market--diversify.

In this age of job hopping and corporate cutbacks, it's proven to be a good strategy. That is not true for all, but it's true for me.

[Nanny]

In the medical devices industry the degree gets your resume looked at. Experience is paramount. One simply can't learn how to do the job from an academic perspective. Corp culture, the pressure to hit dates and numbers, regulations, standards, budgets, staffing, regulators, depositions... doing is much more valuable than studying, practical vs. book knowledge.