Is grad school worth it?

By Herman M. Lagon

Is graduate school worth it? That is a question many professionals have asked themselves at least once while staring at the blinking cursor of a long-forgotten application form or during a slow Tuesday afternoon at work when everything feels a little too routine. For some, it starts with envy over a friend’s Facebook update. For others, it comes after yet another job interview where the only thing missing on their resume was a few extra letters after their name. But beyond the diploma, the tassel turn, and the occasional flex at academic regalia events, is it really worth the time, money, and mental gymnastics?

Graduate studies is not a magic wand. It will not make you rich overnight or hand you a promotion the moment you submit your thesis. But what it gives you is depth—the kind that makes you wrestle with discomfort, push your thinking, and yes, question your life choices at 2 a.m. while fixing Chapter 3 for the fifth time. It is a tough, often unglamorous journey of both mind and heart. Yet for many, that very challenge is the point.

One of the most obvious benefits is career mobility. In a 2020 tracer study by the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), professionals with master’s, doctoral, or post-doctoral degrees were found to have better chances at landing higher positions, particularly in the academe and civil service. In fact, for many public school teachers, acquiring graduate units is not just encouraged—it is a requirement for promotion. Yet beyond climbing the pay scale, the degree often validates competence. In industries where job titles can feel like alphabet soup, the degree provides substance to status.

It is also about reclaiming a sense of agency. For teachers, social workers, engineers, and health professionals who have spent years in the field, going back to school is not merely about formal qualifications. It is a deliberate choice to pause, reflect, and rearm themselves with better tools. A high school English teacher from Iloilo once told me that her decision to pursue a master’s degree was not for money or clout, but because her students deserved better stories, better interpretations, and better discussions. That was the kind of advocacy that no board exam could quantify.

Good graduate programs push you out of your comfort zone. They offer more than lectures—they offer real growth. But not all schools do. With diploma mills still around, choosing a place that values substance over shortcuts is key. You encounter readings that demand second, even third, attempts. You meet advisors who challenge more than cheer. And you sit beside classmates whose brilliance pushes you to do better. It can be disorienting at first. The ego, no matter how decorated, will take a few dents. But it also grows stronger in the places that count. There is deep value in learning that makes you feel small before it makes you wiser.

Financially, it is not always rosy. While studies like the one from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) point to a 29 percent salary bump for master’s degree holders, this is neither uniform nor immediate. Some MBA graduates still find themselves on the same job rung, only with more payables. However, for many, especially those who enter specialized fields such as psychology, engineering, and public administration, the payoff arrives in the form of sideline consultancies, teaching gigs, or higher entry points in government ranks. It is a slow burn, not a jackpot.

And then there is the unquantifiable: fulfillment. There is something to be said about finishing something difficult not because it was required, but because it meant something. Whether it is a teacher from Roxas City finishing her master’s at age 52 or a call center agent finally defending his thesis after years of graveyard shifts, the diploma becomes more than a credential. It becomes a quiet rebellion against burnout, against stagnation, and against the lie that learning stops after college.

Moreover, graduate school also provides access to networks that are unlikely to be found elsewhere. Professors turn into mentors, classmates into collaborators, and that seminar seatmate? They might just be your future dean—or your startup partner. Bonds built over group work and coffee breaks often grow into lasting career and idea partnerships. In this economy, your network is often as valuable as your knowledge.

But let us also be clear: graduate school should never be used as a weapon. Earning a master’s or doctorate does not give anyone the right to manipulate facts, belittle others, hoard credit, or parade false expertise. Sadly, some pursue advanced degrees for clout—not growth—and end up becoming loud but empty echoes in their field. If you cheat your way through school, buy your diploma, or use your title to look smart while staying mediocre, outdated, and irrelevant, you are not just fooling others—you are cheapening the very soul of scholarship. A degree without integrity is a dressed-up disgrace. You do not advocate for your field, you embarrass it. This deserves a longer discussion—but for now, let it serve as a warning: graduate school is meant to build people up, not tear others down.

Hence, it is not for everyone. Timing matters. Finances matter. Energy matters. School matters. Mindset matters. A master’s degree pursued for the wrong reasons—peer pressure, default expectations, ego-boost, or mere title chasing—can be emotionally draining and financially impractical. Graduate studies should not be a detour from life, but an intentional path forward. It should serve a purpose that aligns with your goals, whether that is becoming a subject expert, changing careers, pursuing an advocacy, or simply becoming a better version of yourself.

As a graduate school professor, guidance counselor, and researcher currently working on a dissertation, I have seen students, classmates, and colleagues thrive and stumble. I have also seen how graduate education, when entered with clear purpose and supported by good mentors, transforms people. They begin speaking differently, thinking differently, and leading differently. They no longer just do their jobs—they own their roles. They do not just become professionals—they grow into thought leaders.

In the end, the real question is not about stats or school rankings. It is about your story. Who are you becoming? What version of yourself are you working toward? If your ‘why’ is rooted in learning and meaning, then yes—the pressure and sleep loss may be a fair trade.

Because the true win is not the degree—it is the better, braver, bolder, and brighter self you meet on the other side.

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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.