That does seem quite high for a Master's program! I am planning on attending WashU, which is about 92,000 for the degree (also high!). It wasn't really a realistic option for me until they offered me a scholarship that brought it down to a similar tuition cost of an out-of-state school I had applied to. Since WashU has such an incredible program, I place it higher on my list than that same out of state school that has a less impressive program. My only other option is to attend UIC (I live in the Chicago suburbs). My justification for the higher tuition (UIC would cost me about 55,000 in tuition) has to do with my lifestyle and cost of living. At UIC I'd be saving tuition but would need to take out a larger amount of loans for living costs, as I wouldn't be able to have any part time job (I'd be commuting about 3 hours a day). Also, I'd need to keep my car, which would require more loans to be taken out as I still owe money on my car. To me, this justifies the tuition of my private school because the overall amount added to that for my living costs will be significantly less, plus I'll be able to work part time since I won't be commuting for so long each day! Also, WashU is a sort of dream for me, so I do place value on that and am willing to pay a bit more.
I share this because you have to look at the whole picture of what your loans will look like-- if you have a lower cost option that will, in the end, result in fewer loans and a comparable lifestyle, you may want to consider that. If your other options are not sustainable lifestyles (like, for me, UIC, because of the extra loans and tons of hours driving back and forth, inability to really be a part of social life on campus), you may find that you're OK with the high tuition. It's all about being fully informed about all your options, knowing what you want (is this your dream school? Can you not imagine yourself going elsewhere?) and making the best decision for you from that information.
Again, this is just my value system and decision making process here. I'd love to hear other folks' perspectives as well, as I love to hear other people's thought process. This is such a big commitment and decision, no matter what school and tuition you end up choosing!
