Robert Kelchen
@robertkelchen.com
Professor & department head, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I study higher ed finance, accountability, and financial aid. Washington Monthly rankings data editor. Dad, gardener, and baker. Personal account.
https://robertkelchen.com/
https://robertkelchen.com/
Higher ed also has a lot of reimbursement.
November 10, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Higher ed also has a lot of reimbursement.
For a doctorate, it's likely higher ed faculty or school leaders.
November 10, 2025 at 5:05 PM
For a doctorate, it's likely higher ed faculty or school leaders.
The debt load is essentially only for people who aren't reimbursed by their district or college (this includes K-12 and higher ed, by the way).
November 10, 2025 at 4:39 PM
The debt load is essentially only for people who aren't reimbursed by their district or college (this includes K-12 and higher ed, by the way).
Earnings five years after program completion.
November 10, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Earnings five years after program completion.
Nope. We only have earnings data if someone has federal financial aid, which is all loans at the graduate level.
That--and small program sizes--is why so few doctoral programs have a meaningful number of programs.
That--and small program sizes--is why so few doctoral programs have a meaningful number of programs.
November 10, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Nope. We only have earnings data if someone has federal financial aid, which is all loans at the graduate level.
That--and small program sizes--is why so few doctoral programs have a meaningful number of programs.
That--and small program sizes--is why so few doctoral programs have a meaningful number of programs.
That debt-to-earnings ratio is...backbreaking.
November 10, 2025 at 4:20 PM
That debt-to-earnings ratio is...backbreaking.
The tricky piece is that the ones who don't foot the bill don't show up in the data (due to not taking out debt).
November 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
The tricky piece is that the ones who don't foot the bill don't show up in the data (due to not taking out debt).
It's only weird if it doesn't work.
November 9, 2025 at 1:23 AM
It's only weird if it doesn't work.
Metrics like degrees awarded per 100 FTE were all the rage 10-15 years ago (likely thanks to NCHEMS and the like). They still pop up in some funding formulas.
November 7, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Metrics like degrees awarded per 100 FTE were all the rage 10-15 years ago (likely thanks to NCHEMS and the like). They still pop up in some funding formulas.
That's primarily research.
November 7, 2025 at 11:38 AM
That's primarily research.