These things can be objectively quantified. Every degree has a cost, and provides an ascertainable return on investment.
Out of the entire FBS, Stanford provides the most valuable degree. Ranked 5th nationally, it's 30-year ROI is $1.606m.
Notre Dame provides the 2nd most valuable degree. Ranked 10th nationally, it's 30-year ROI is $1.452m.
Vanderbilt obviously provides the most valuable degree in the SEC. It ranks 43rd nationally at $1.021m 30y ROI. But Vandy is clearly the outlier; the poster you responded to was referring to schools like Alabama and Auburn. So excepting Vandy, which SEC football factory provides the most valuable degree?
Florida, coming in at
125th, has an average 30y ROI of $707,000. Still a lot of money, but less than half of what a ND degree gets you.
Georgia comes in next, ranked
203rd, with an average 30y ROI of $576,400. A ND degree is worth almost three times a dawgree.
Auburn is close to Georgia, ranking
211th, with an average 30y ROI $569,400.
Alabama ranks
364th, with an average 30y ROI of $423,800. A degree from Stanford is worth almost 4 times as much.
Factor in the SEC's embarrassing graduation rates (especially for minorities), and it's perfectly legitimate to wonder whether these SEC recruits are lying, ignorant, or being deceived when they claim to be going south "for the academics".
I understand the sentiment behind your post, Beau. A willingness to work hard obviously plays a huge factor in how much one gets out of college, and ultimately how successful one is in life. But that variable doesn't change the fact that there are huge disparities in what a degree from various colleges is worth. Vanderbilt excepted, the SEC does
not provide a "good" education relative to other colleges.
Source.
