STUDENT GUIDE March 2, 2025  ·  9 min read  ·  By Sentpo Editorial

Most students spend more time researching a new phone than they do researching the degree program they’re about to take on $30,000 to $100,000 of debt for. This guide exists to change that. Here’s exactly what to investigate — before you commit.

📋 IN THIS ARTICLE

1. Why Most Students Skip the Research Phase
2. Research Step 1 — Does This Degree Actually Lead to Jobs?
3. Research Step 2 — What Will This Really Cost You?
4. Research Step 3 — Is This University the Right Fit?
5. Research Step 4 — Are There Better Alternatives?
6. Research Step 5 — What Do Real Graduates Say?
7. Your Pre-Enrollment Research Checklist
8. Frequently Asked Questions

Why Most Students Skip the Research Phase

Here’s a scenario that plays out millions of times every year. A student finishes high school. Their parents ask what they want to study. They pick something that sounds good — business, psychology, communications, law. They apply to the universities their friends are applying to. They get accepted. They enroll.

Nobody asked the hard questions. Nobody did the math. Nobody looked at what actually happens to graduates of that specific program at that specific school five years after graduation.

And three or four years later, many of those students are sitting in jobs unrelated to their degree, carrying tens of thousands of dollars in debt, wondering how it all went wrong.

⚠️ This is not a failure of effort. It’s a failure of information. Students are rushed through the enrollment process by systems — schools, universities, loan providers — that benefit from quick decisions. Slowing down to research is an act of self-protection.

The goal of this article is simple. Before you or someone you love signs on the dotted line of a student loan or an enrollment form, run through these five research steps. They will take you a few days. They could save you years.

53%

of recent college graduates in the U.S. are underemployed — working in jobs that don’t require their degree (Burning Glass Institute, 2023)

That number isn’t a personal failure. It’s a systemic one — and research before enrolling is one of the most powerful ways to protect yourself from becoming part of it.

Research Step 1 — Does This Degree Actually Lead to Jobs?

Before anything else, you need to answer one question honestly: what does a graduate of this specific program actually do for work — and are those jobs available, growing, and well-paid?

This sounds obvious. Most students never actually do it.

Search the job market before you choose the degree

Go to job boards — LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor — and search for roles that your degree would qualify you for. Look at how many open positions exist right now. Look at the salary ranges listed. Look at what additional skills, certifications, or experience employers are asking for beyond the degree itself.

If you’re considering a psychology degree, search “psychology graduate jobs” in your city. If you’re considering a marketing degree, search “entry-level marketing.” Don’t just look at the number of results — read the actual postings. Does a degree alone get you in the door, or do employers expect years of internship experience, specialist software skills, or postgraduate qualifications on top?

Check government labor data

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the Occupational Outlook Handbook — a free, detailed database showing employment projections, median salaries, and job growth rates for hundreds of careers. Before you choose a degree, look up every career it could realistically lead to.

Ask the university for its graduate employment data

Every accredited university should be able to tell you what percentage of graduates from your specific program are employed in a related field within 6 and 12 months of graduation — and at what average starting salary. If they can’t give you that data, or if they give you vague answers, treat it as a red flag.

⚠️ Watch out for this trick: Many universities report “graduate employment rates” that include graduates working in any job — including retail, hospitality, and roles with no connection to their degree. Always ask for field-relevant employment rates specifically.

Research Step 2 — What Will This Really Cost You?

The price on the university website is not the price you will pay. And the price you pay is not the amount you will owe by the time you graduate.

Understanding the true cost of a degree requires you to do math that universities — and student loan providers — have little incentive to show you upfront.

Calculate the total cost, not the annual cost

Take the annual tuition figure and multiply it by the number of years in your program. Now add accommodation, food, transportation, books, materials, and student fees. Add an average of 10–15% for unexpected costs. That is your total program cost — and it is almost always significantly higher than the number advertised.

Calculate your loan repayment reality

Use a student loan repayment calculator (many are free online) to understand what your monthly payment will be after graduation, assuming the average starting salary in your chosen field. If your monthly loan repayment would exceed 10–15% of your expected take-home pay, your debt-to-income ratio is in dangerous territory.

A degree is not just an educational decision. It is a financial contract that will shape the first decade of your adult life. Read the contract before you sign it.

Compare the cost between institutions

The same degree can cost three or four times as much at one university versus another — sometimes with little measurable difference in graduate outcomes. Research whether the prestige premium of a more expensive institution actually translates into better employment rates or higher salaries in your specific field. For most careers, it does not.

💡 Do this: Find two or three universities offering your chosen program at different price points. Request their graduate employment data and average starting salaries. Compare the return on investment directly. You may find a significantly cheaper option delivers identical — or better — outcomes.

Research Step 3 — Is This University the Right Fit?

Beyond cost and career outcomes, the university itself matters. Not every institution is equal — and the differences go far beyond league table rankings.

Accreditation

Confirm that both the university and the specific program you’re enrolling in are properly accredited by the relevant national or professional body. An unaccredited degree may be unrecognized by employers and, in some fields, legally invalid for professional practice. Check this on your country’s official higher education authority website — not just the university’s own marketing materials.

Teaching quality vs. research reputation

Many universities are world-famous for research but have poor undergraduate teaching quality. These are not the same thing. Search for student satisfaction scores, teaching quality ratings, and student-to-staff ratios for your specific department. In the UK, the National Student Survey publishes these publicly. In the US, look at sites like Rate My Professors and the College Scorecard.

Industry connections

Does the department have active relationships with employers in your field? Do they run placement programs, internship partnerships, or industry mentoring? Ask the admissions team directly: which companies recruit from this program, and can they share contact details of recent graduates you could speak with?

Location

Where a university is physically located matters enormously for certain careers. Research where the majority of graduates from your program end up working geographically — it will give you a realistic picture of where the degree takes people.

Research Step 4 — Are There Better Alternatives?

This is the question the higher education industry most wants you not to ask. But it is one of the most important questions you can ask before committing to a degree.

For a growing number of careers, a traditional university degree is not the only legitimate path — and in some cases, it is not even the most effective one. This does not mean university is wrong for you. It means you should know your options before you decide.

Questions to research honestly:

• Does this career actually require a degree by law or regulation? Medicine, law, nursing, architecture, and teaching typically do. Marketing, business, software development, design, journalism, and many others typically do not.
• Do leading employers in this field post jobs requiring a degree? Check their actual job listings, not their general reputation.
• Are there shorter, cheaper, accredited pathways — such as professional certifications, trade qualifications, or online degrees — that lead to the same roles?
• What do people already working in your target career say about how useful their degree actually was? LinkedIn and Reddit communities for specific industries are surprisingly honest on this topic.

⚠️ This is not anti-university. For many students, a university degree remains the best possible investment. The point is not to avoid university — it is to choose it consciously, with full information, rather than by default.

Research Step 5 — What Do Real Graduates Say?

Marketing materials, university rankings, and open-day presentations all share one thing in common: they are created by people who want you to enroll. For balanced information, you need to speak with people who have already been through the experience — and have nothing to sell you.

How to find honest graduate perspectives:

• LinkedIn: Search for graduates of your specific program at your target university. Filter by graduation year (2–5 years ago gives you the most useful picture). Look at where they’re actually working, in what roles, and at what seniority level.
• Reddit: Subject-specific subreddits contain thousands of candid, unfiltered conversations from students and graduates about the real value of specific programs.
• University alumni events: Ask the university to connect you with recent alumni. If they refuse or stall, that tells you something.
• Glassdoor and Indeed: Many companies list the educational backgrounds of employees in reviews. You can get a sense of whether your target employers actually hire from your target program.

Thirty minutes talking to a real graduate will teach you more than thirty hours of reading university brochures.

Your Pre-Enrollment Research Checklist

Print this out or save it. Work through it before you submit any enrollment form or sign any loan agreement.

✅ CAREER & EMPLOYMENT RESEARCH

• ☐  I have searched job boards for roles this degree qualifies me for
• ☐  I have checked BLS (or equivalent) for job growth and median salary data
• ☐  I have asked the university for field-relevant employment rates for this program
• ☐  I have confirmed that the salary I can realistically expect covers my living costs and loan repayment

✅ FINANCIAL RESEARCH

• ☐  I have calculated the total cost of the program (tuition + living + fees for all years)
• ☐  I have used a loan repayment calculator to model my monthly payments post-graduation
• ☐  I have compared the cost vs. graduate outcomes of at least 2–3 alternative institutions
• ☐  I have researched all scholarships, grants, and bursaries available to me

✅ UNIVERSITY & PROGRAM RESEARCH

• ☐  I have confirmed the university and program are fully accredited
• ☐  I have checked teaching quality ratings and student satisfaction scores
• ☐  I have researched industry connections and employer partnerships
• ☐  I have considered how the university’s location affects my career options

✅ ALTERNATIVES RESEARCH

• ☐  I have checked whether a degree is legally required for my target career
• ☐  I have researched certifications, bootcamps, or other pathways to the same roles
• ☐  I have compared the time and cost of alternatives versus a full degree

✅ REAL-WORLD PERSPECTIVES

• ☐  I have spoken with or read the perspectives of at least 3 real graduates of this program
• ☐  I have researched where graduates of this program are actually working on LinkedIn
• ☐  I have read candid community discussions (Reddit, forums) about this degree and career path

📖 Read the Full Investigation on Sentpo

We’ve gone deeper into the data, the stories, and the questions the higher education system doesn’t want asked. The full article is live now.Read on Sentpo →

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ How much research should I do before choosing a university or college program?

At minimum, you should spend several days — ideally a few weeks — researching career outcomes, costs, university quality, alternatives, and real graduate experiences before enrolling. A degree is one of the largest financial and time commitments you will make in your life. The research phase deserves to be treated accordingly.

❓ Where can I find honest graduate employment data for university programs?

Ask the university directly for their graduate outcomes report, specifying field-relevant employment. In the US, the College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov) publishes earnings data by institution and program. LinkedIn’s alumni tool lets you see where real graduates from specific programs end up working. Government labor databases like the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook provide salary and job growth data by career.

❓ Is a university degree always worth the cost?

Not automatically. Whether a degree is worth the cost depends heavily on the specific field, the specific institution, the total cost, and your individual career goals. For some careers and some programs, the return on investment is clearly positive. For others — particularly expensive programs in low-paying or oversaturated fields — the financial case is weak. Research the numbers for your specific situation before deciding.

❓ What are the best alternatives to a traditional university degree?

This depends entirely on your chosen career. For tech roles, coding bootcamps and self-directed study with a strong portfolio are well-established alternatives. For business and marketing, professional certifications and real-world experience are often valued over degrees. For creative fields, a strong portfolio frequently outweighs formal qualifications. For regulated professions like medicine, law, and engineering, a degree typically remains mandatory.

❓ How do I know if a university program is accredited?

Check the accreditation status on your country’s official higher education authority website — not just the university’s marketing materials. In the US, the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP) is the official resource. Also check whether your specific program holds professional accreditation from the relevant industry body, which may be a separate requirement from institutional accreditation.

❓ How can I speak to real graduates of a program I’m considering?

LinkedIn is the most effective tool — search for alumni of the specific program, filter by graduation year, and send a brief, respectful message asking about their experience. Most people are genuinely happy to help. You can also ask the university admissions team to connect you with recent graduates, or look for candid conversations in field-specific communities on Reddit and forums.

Sentpo Editorial
The Sentpo team covers education, finance, and the systems that shape the decisions students make. We believe every student deserves full information before they commit — not after.

🤖 This article was generated with the assistance of Claude AI by Anthropic and reviewed by the Sentpo editorial team.
Published on Sentpo — March 2, 2025.