I was recently accepted to a lot of great schools, and while I'm really excited, I'm also daunted by the financial commitment involved. I have some idea of how to weigh the costs and potential benefits of one vs. another, and I know that these will only give me a rough guideline. But I want to know which factors you would take into account when weighing the cost of grad school. I assume that I am probably not thinking of certain important aspects of the financial situation. Also, if I'm overthinking it, please tell me. I have no financial safety net in my family, nor much resources, so I want to make sure I understand the risks I'm taking in my education.

Here's what I'm imagining I should try to calculate as a rough estimate:

• Tuition
• Cost of living for the city
• Consider additional costs of being an arch student (modeling materials, computer stuff, plotting, excessive coffee, etc.)
• Immediate scholarship offers (if any)
• Ask about the specific costs and benefits of being a TA or Research Assistant, and include those as a potential factor.
• Ask about additional scholarships that might be available, and if they have any idea on the amount of additional scholarships their students tend to get.
• Look at how much could remain for subsidized loans, and how much need there might be for other loans.
• Think about cost of living post-grad school, and entry level salaries, loan payments.

Is this a reasonable list? Am I missing anything obvious? One thing I'm not sure about, is how to compare the earnings of alumni, and what they end up doing to get those earnings. This could obviously make a big difference in being able to pay back loans. How would you find good information on alumni and what they earn?