Large Differences in Psy.D Tuition Cost - Why?

[193863]

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I am having difficulty figuring out why there is such a disparity amongst Psy.D program tuition costs. I've read about the general differences regarding private professional schools versus university-based/affiliated schools, but 3 schools I'm considering are all affiliated with a university. I've done a lot of hypothesizing.. the presence/absence of an on-site clinic, SES of the surrounding area, if the program is on the main campus or on a satellite campus, faculty members are paid more, etc., but it's not really getting me anywhere. I want to know why because I think it'll help me with deciding on a program (for example, if one program is more expensive, it's because it has a *special* feature that I should be taking advantage of).

The tuition per year:
Hartford - abt. $21,000
Yeshiva - abt. $27,000
Long Island - abt. $34,000

Not exactly a couple of cents, especially when it's multiplied by a few years! 😕

Thanks in advance, forum posters 😀

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Wow....I didn't realized tuition was that high (25-30+ a year?!). I'm guessing those are all in high cost of living areas, so that probably plays a role. Research funding, university funding, and the like probably all contribute as well.

Oh, and just so everyone is clear.....

*MOD NOTE: Given some of the recent discussions on here, I thought it best to post a reminder to please keep the discussion professional, and to not drag it off topic or bash on one model over another. Consider this fair warning. -t*

 

[193863]

Wow....I didn't realized tuition was that high (25-30+ a year?!). I'm guessing those are all in high cost of living areas, so that probably plays a role. Research funding, university funding, and the like probably all contribute as well.

Are you inferring that this might be something I should just accept - that it is the way it is? I'm just baffled by the substantial differences. It's probably an unfair comparison, but undergrad costs were much more straightforward - private vs. public and that's pretty much it for the extremes.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

Are you inferring that this might be something I should just accept - that it is the way it is? I'm just baffled by the substantial differences. It's probably an unfair comparison, but undergrad costs were much more straightforward - private vs. public and that's pretty much it for the extremes.

I think the take away message is to understand the costs (time/money/etc) it takes for each program, and to figure out if that works for each individual person. Funding can dictate where some people go, others are okay with taking on more debt. I think each program needs to be evaluate for not only the education and how it fits for your training goals, but also the economic impact. I'm not sure a person can 'show' that one place is worth another $1,000....$5,000.....$10,000....more than another program, but I'd want to be sure that the extra cost is something that I could deal with, and that it'd be worth it on the back-end. I don't really know much about any of those programs (I looked briefly at Hartford, but it wasn't the right fit for me, so I didn't apply), so my comments are purely on evaluating programs in general.

People often get too caught up in This School > That School > The Other School, though it is important to go into each decision with your eyes wide open. Some programs have more opportunities than others to defray costs, so be aware of that. Also training opportunities can vary greatly......so if you are committing to a school, make sure they fit exactly what you need, particularly if they are $$$.

Obviously most Psy.D. programs and some Ph.D. programs are going to be quite expensive because of tuition + cost of living, so this is a consideration. There are usually options to defray some of that cost (teaching, TA, RA, etc) on the front end, or on the back-end (loan forgiveness programs for working in areas of need, service commitment, etc). People say educational debt is an investment for the future and whatnot....which is fine, better than CC debt I guess, but it is still debt.

I have loans (from another program) and will need to pay them back, but back when I made my decision it seemed like the right call. Would I do it again....not sure. I feel like my training is excellent and I should be in a pretty good position to do what I want, but it isn't an inexpensive endeavor. The alternative would have been to take another year, go through the process again, and try and get into a program with better funding. At this point in my life, I didn't want to wait that year and risk being in the same (or worse) position next year, so I narrowed down my choices to the best balance between fit and cost. I crunched the numbers and was okay with them, but it is very much a personal decision.

 

[ny1020]

Knowing NYC real estate, I would guess that just the cost of being on the property would cause Yeshiva and Long Island to have higher costs than Hartford. Don't know much more about those programs, though.

Good luck on making a choice!

 

[193863]

T4C, thanks for taking the time to respond thoroughly - much appreciated. I'll be sure to keep your points in mind. While my decision certainly is important, I can't get hung up on every single detail, and I must focus on the important aspects of each program as they relate to me (including cost).

Jon, I looked into your inquiry, and it turns out the tuition is the same for all programs. I also learned that tuition tends to go up 6% for Yeshiva. It would be interesting for me to see if that is the same case at other programs. If not, perhaps varying % increases also accounts for the differences in tuition costs.

 

[amy203]

T4C - by far the most reasonable and thoughtful post I think I've seen on this topic. Practically deserves a sticky...

 

[73BARMYPgsp]

Are you inferring that this might be something I should just accept - that it is the way it is? I'm just baffled by the substantial differences. It's probably an unfair comparison, but undergrad costs were much more straightforward - private vs. public and that's pretty much it for the extremes.

Speaker=Imply
Listener=Infer

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

T4C - by far the most reasonable and thoughtful post I think I've seen on this topic. Practically deserves a sticky...

Thanks!

 

[Neuro-Dr]

I hate to be overly simplistic, but it is not how much it costs as much as how much you get back in scholarships/TA/RA, etc.
Northwestern is $36K, ISPP-Chicago is $25K per year (30 credits)
Where are you more likely to spend more???? ISPP

 

[193863]

Neuro,

Thanks for raising a good point, but I am more so curious about the tuition costs as they stand unaltered. Somehow, those figures were calculated as the total cost of tuition, and I wish I knew more.

For my own decision making, I have figured out the revised tuition costs with scholarships, estimating what it could cost me for 5 years of study, but appreciate your advice.

 

[teammonkeys123]

Is it OK to talk to someone at the more expensive program and ask why the large difference in tuition?

 

[ITALA]

I am wondering if someone could shed some light on the total cost of an average PhD/PsyD program. I can find tuition rates per credit hour for each program, but I am wondering how the programs are structured. For example do you have to pay tuition at a regular rate while you are doing an internship or writing your dissertation? Basically, I am trying to figure out how many credit hours in an average PhD/PsyD program are taken at the regular tuition rate - 60 credits? 90 credits? Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

This thread started the conversation.....so I merged your thread.

In general, many Ph.D. programs have good funding because they have the research $'s to pay for the tuition of the students working on the research. Psy.D.'s typically have less research $'s available, so funding isn't as good. There still can be costs associated with Ph.D's, particularly those in large cities like Boston, NYC, etc.....though many find programs in the midwest where they can avoid most/all extra costs (if they have a good enough stipend and are thrifty about it).

There was an article about average debt coming out....I think it was in the APA Monitor, hopefully someone can post it.

 

[PsyDr]

all of them are at the regular rate. all 90+ hours.


internship is usually counted as either a set # of hours, or charged at a flat fee. this is usually done to keep you in full time student status so that you do not have to start paying back any loans you might have.


basically multiply the # of hours that the department says the program lasts by the hourly.

then add in books

then add in living expenses.

 

[ITALA]

For some reason my previous comment did not post. Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who replied. It helps. 🙂

 

[toby jones]

This holds more generally whan with PsyD programs. Different universities often have significant differences in the cost of tuition, too, and the cost of tuition often isn't terribly correlated with the quality of education.

I don't really want to name names... But there are a number of public universities who outperform private universities where those private universities charge considerably more. But then... Maybe it depends on the particular field you are interested in... I know of one private university that gets away with charging a great deal for undergraduate tuition because people really want to get into the medical school program, for example. Though if you aren't so interested in the medical school program you you would be better off (academically and financially) going somewhere else.

 

[ITALA]

there are a number of public universities who outperform private universities where those private universities charge considerably more.

This is good to know. Thanks. I am still at the very beginning of my research, so any points like this are greatly appreciated. 🙂