[sadawi]

Is lifetime earning to cost a useful metric, though? There are costs outside of college that won't scale with that ratio. Extreme example: a 1000:1 ratio isn't much good if your lifetime earning is $1000, and a 2:1 ratio could mean you come out ahead by a few million dollars.

[gte910h]

http://www.bursar.gatech.edu/student/tuition/Fall_2011/Fall1...

I get your argument, but the cost is far past $1.

$11,110 per semester out of state for guaranteed tuition plan and $1,185 in fees.

in state is $1,185 in fees and $2,248 per semester.

So here are starting and mid-career salaries (medians) for different colleges:

http://www.payscale.com/best-colleges/best-engineering-colle...

And I guarantee you 100k a year buys you a MUCH nicer house in Atlanta than in LA (further skewing the value).