Iowa Wesleyan's fate underscores woes facing others

[TexasTowelie]

On its website, Iowa Wesleyan University lists five top reasons to enroll: quality education, personalized experience, affordability and extracurricular opportunities in the small, safe, and friendly town of Mount Pleasant, cradled in the Midwestern breadbasket of Southeast Iowa.

An hour and a half northwest sits Pella’s Central College — another four-year private liberal arts school promoting $24,000 in scholarships to “a select number of applicants.”

Continue an hour west and you’ll hit Indianola, home to Simpson College, a four-year private institution that highlights its affordability.

But all three schools over the past decade have seen noteworthy enrollment and financial challenges in a higher-education landscape that’s become increasingly competitive — not just for students, but for donors willing to support their missions.

Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/iowa-wesleyan-financial-woes-small-liberal-arts-colleges-problems-20181110

[exboyfil]

1. ROI on these colleges is just not there

My youngest did go to a private (for 15 months - four semesters), but it was a Nursing college. The tuition was even less than these schools. Tuition and fees was about $40K total for the final four semesters, and you can do your first two years mostly online at community colleges with annual tuition around $6K/year for the two years.

[Jake Stern]

2. These schools charge huge sums for what end up being useless degrees

$35,000 a year at a small liberal arts college toward a degree in a field like Gender Studies which has near zero use outside of academia.

[exboyfil]

3. Gender Studies is always the whipping boy

but very few actually major in it. General Business probably is a much bigger target. Something like Accounting and Finance make sense. Economics and Marketing can make sense. General business on the other hand doesn't improve the needle much on getting your first job.

In general go engineering instead of science or math as well. It opens up more jobs, and you could find yourself doing the same work anyway.

Look at Health Field majors over Biology, and don't fall into the trap of getting a Biology degree and then a Nursing degree. Practically you only need one bachelor's degree. Just take the additional courses necessary for graduate work if necessary.

Your first degree should be a degree with a job improving credential associated with it. Talented individuals, especially those with family or social connections, probably will be successful with whatever major. For the rest of us think Engineering, Nursing, Accounting, etc. Remember learning is for a lifetime. Once you achieve financial independence you can always take additional classes, study on your own, etc.

I think you develop a greater appreciation for art, history, and philosophy when you are older anyway. It is also better to pursue this learning without the specter of debt and grades hanging over you.