I randomly came upon your post.  I graduated from NewSchool with an M.ARCH a few years ago. I have a B.ARCH and I decided to get an M.ARCH because there was not any Architecture jobs available.  NewSchool was my choice simply because they had a high percentage of students graduating with jobs.  I too got a job right out of school.  Now that I look back though was my one year at NewSchool with a 30000 loan worth it?  The answer is no.  Why?  You don't get paid more having an M.ARCH, adding an additional 30,000 to my existing loans from my B.ARCH took my ability to purchase a house for my family in he future.  Nobody tells you how your loans can effect your future.  I suggest really thinking about this.  Can you afford it?  What do you want out of it?   In regards to your question about is the education any good?  My response is that my B.ARCH was worth every penny, best architectural education.  I would suggest people to look at the University of Oregon for B.ARCH or M.ARCH.  NewSchool isn't a bad school, but it is constantly improving.  I would suggest taking a trip down to SD to see for yourself.   For me if I can go back, it just wasn't worth the money, but they did give me a job which puts them a little ahead of other schools.  Hope that helps.

i graduated from NewSchool in 2007 with an M.arch and started work at SOM -SF right-after and I was able to hold my own. Was it worth the 50K for 3 years? - well, I was working along side those that paid a whole lot more to go to Harvard and Columbia. - after 5 years, I would say so - esp having to struggle through the great recession and am still working in architecture - . The thing about M.arch or B.arch? the thing I have found is that many of my co-workers that attended B.A/B.S.. architecture programs like at DAAP, Berkeley, Uof Minn and others have more daring design sense - they just do it, there are less constraints in their thinking. NewSchool follows the CalPoly model(many ex CalPoly faculty - at least when I was there ) - yes you will get a job and after 5 years of production/CDs? I just now made it into design - 

Sure a degree from NewSchool will get you a job - but will you be able to move into design and become an architect?  -   I think you should check it out - there have been many success stories - an architect from B.I.G.

To get into design, you have to be aggressive or you will end up the office BIM Tool - there are just too many BIM modelers right now looking for work. It's also about your verbal communication skills - at NewSchool, if yo can't talk architecture, you will be hammered by those who do - the jurors will take you apart.

I went to NewSchool and graduated a few years ago and got an M.Arch. I got a job right away after graduation. Although it costs less than most schools, the costs add up after 3 years of living expenses and tuition. I just can't imagine paying for an ivy league education.

I did receive a generous amount in scholarships. I didn't have an architecture/design background so my options of where I could realistically apply and get in were limited. It wasn't necessarily my impression that students were generally more practical than design oriented - I think it's split right down the middle. But I think the school has changed considerably over the last few years. The boring and generic answer is that you get what you put into it. If you're self-motivated there is no reason to pay more for an education. My current employer doesn't care where I went to school, they just care about the work I'm doing in the office.

Woodbury also has a San Diego campus near NewSchool.

Also, no one outside of San Diego has ever heard of NewSchool. And get used to explaining that it's not Parsons The New School in NY.