

ROI of Coding Schools vs. MBA - startuup
http://findinbay.blogspot.com/2013/04/roi-on-mba-vs-coding-schools-which-is.html

======
hoov
I'm not sure that this analysis spot on.

> This means we'll be comparing tangible stuff ... not the intangible things
> like network or personal growth, etc. No one should care about the
> intangible stuff anyway ... but that's a separate debate.

When this is coupled with:

> Get an MBA? Let's take the Rolls Royce of Business Schools - Harvard
> Business School (HBS)

and the bit about the coding school:

> This varies by program from around $10k to $20k, but let's use an
> approximate mid-point at $15k for the program duration, which is generally
> about 3 months.

It becomes an entirely apples-to-oranges comparison.

In order to get into HBS, you've most probably already spent 4 years at a top-
tier university; you also probably have a decent network. Sure, there are
exceptions to this, but it's probably not the majority of cases.

So, we're talking about a 4 year investment in an undergraduate degree, plus a
top-tier business school versus a 3 month investment in a coding school. I'm
not sure that this comparison is entirely useful. A more apples-to-apples
comparison might be to compare a top-tier engineering school (undergrad +
meng) to a top-tier university + an MBA.

The other issue that I have is the assumption that a coding school will yield
a well-paying job in the Bay Area. I'm not agreeing with the fact that
candidates from top-tier universities fare better chances, but it might be
reality.

~~~
dklounge
I think these are fair points, and building on those points, doesn't it
support that traditional 4-year and 2-year degrees may not be delivering
education as valued by the market place? I can add that - at least for the
current market - coding school graduates are finding jobs at the published
market rates with relative ease ... in the Bay Area as you note. Can't comment
for elsewhere.

