Though some of the schools boast that 90 percent or more of students are employed within six months of graduation, that claim may be misleading. Most students are already working while they study. A more useful way to gauge the eventual appeal to employers of a DeVry-type degree is to talk to a school's admissions office and to recent alumni about the kinds of salaries and promotions that are typical a few years after graduation. Prospective students who plan to stay in the local job market should confer with local companies to make sure that a school is offering programs the companies value. Another concern should be a school's default rate on student loans.
Administrators ascribe that gap to the circumstances of a less-affluent student population.
But in some cases, it may signal that a notable share of graduates have failed to find jobs lucrative enough to let them manage their school debts. This is a possibility worth exploring, given that securing a good job is the point. World Report Inc. All rights reserved. Read our information page .