My guess is that for a private school like MIT, the cost for them to provide your education is about what you will pay in tuition. If you are looking for a state subsidized education you can always go to a state school or to Canada - most people will agree that based on future earning power alone there is no difference between an a MIT or Harvard degree and one from Berkeley or Minnesota, even though their reputations and core competencies are very different.

Let's just say that if you are concerned about money before you go to grad school, it is not going to get any prettier after you graduate.

That's why I chose to go to grad school for something where I can use my architecture/design experience, but not to go for an M.Arch..

I am able to attend part-time, and work full-time. I'll have to do one semester full-time, but in a couple years when I've saved up the money to take the time off work. It's taking me a long time to finish but I will also not be accruing any student debt. After working through one semester, I can save up enough to pay my tuition for the next semester.

It would be great if more architecture schools had part-time programs, but since they seem determined to maintain that class (or willingness-to-go-into-heavy-debt, as the case may be) barrier to a lot of us... oh well, I've found out another way to do what I want.

most of that money goes to the mit athletic department.

As it should. Architecture is a non-revenue sport.

If you come to canada and you're not from province the University is in you're not paying the subsidized rate, University of Toronto is 17-18K a year for foreigners, therefore not cheap as well, but you do get the benefit of the exchange rate.

Damn. Most of my classmates were in for 30-60G in loans to pay for school and thought that was hell enough..can't imagine owing four times that just for the privelege of going to MIT.

My school in Canada was like a 10th of that. mind you i didn't get to study with architectural gods either. maybe that is what you are paying for?

Dude, if you go to MIT, you automatically have an in at Gehry's office. I swear. FOG has gotta be like 80% MIT alum.

"tell me why it's so expensive."

This is a question for the producers, i.e. academic departments, deans, administrators, and not for consumers, i.e. the students.

Ok...can you go ask one of them, I'm busy.

Sorry, but if you really want an informed answer to your question, that's where it is.

What I suspect is that you're pissed off that grad school is expensive. Fair enough. "I'm pissed off that grad school is so expensive" is a perfectly respectable thread.

I'll tell you why, its because every other profession in the world makes more money than architects. We are so cut throat as a profession , and we have standed ourselves so far into our little "designer" worlds, that we rely too much on our subconsultants and their fee schedules to get any actual work done. We quietly sit on our thumbs while the engineers and developers of the world take more and more of our profession away from us. If you want to make money as an architect teach , don't do. Starting salary for a non-tenured associate professor is, on average, twice what an intern will make, there is no office overhead, no deadlines, great hours, and no liability insurance to worry about.

Good point Salmon. Just last week got another letter from the university asking for a donation. This month's plea, needing money to cover faculty expenses on student field trips. Currently student fees cover the faculty expense to tour Europe, etc. Hmm, I'm thinking annual all expenses paid trips around the world would be quite nice.

Why is grad school expensive? Same reason medical care is so expensive. We've taken the laws of supply and demand right out of education. If we truly did pay what it costs to attend college #1, most of us would be shocked, and #2, universities would be accountable and waste would quickly vanish.