Today, “is a degree still worth it?” isn’t just a casual question; it's the heart of every college, professional, and parent conversation. Tuition keeps rising, AI is disrupting entire industries, and prospective students are laser-focused on whether that diploma actually pays off. Doubt is everywhere, but so are new opportunities if you know where to look.

What if education isn’t just about lifetime earnings, but about who you become along the way? And in an AI-driven, fast-changing world, what’s actually the smartest way to invest in yourself now?

Curious why some degrees are skyrocketing in ROI while others lag and how colleges like Walsh are adjusting for the future? Want to know how personal transformation, freedom, and community still set higher ed apart in the age of AI? Hear from Walsh College President Suzy Siegle about the ROI debate, AI’s disruption, and the irreplaceable value of lifelong learning.

Episode Highlights:

04:49 - Not every degree is going to see the same return on investment...our MBA was a 933% return. Our doctoral, 1,202%, and our technology program, 780%. So that is great data for us to confidently speak to prospective students about the return.

09:49 - What is more valuable is the human being that you become through the process of learning, having to be challenged, persevering through a difficult class— statistics, anyone?— having to learn how to get along with different faculty and peer personalities for group projects.

24:50 - AI, by the way, will drive all this. It'll not only drive the marketing funnel to help people learn about these opportunities, but it will drive the learning experience.

30:53 - Now incorporating the use of Excel wasn't necessarily having to teach the fundamentals of debits and credits, that's there. That's the deep roots of the curriculum. It was teaching them how to use a tool that the business world is saying they need.

Sarah Holtan, PhD

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Suzy Siegle, EdD, JDD

LinkedIn

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