I sat down with Michael Itzkowitz, director behind the College Scorecard. Michael shares his incredible journey from PhD student to working in the Obama administration, and now leading HEA where he's revolutionizing how we think about college value and ROI. We dive deep into the questions every family needs to ask: Is college still worth it? How do you evaluate schools beyond just "getting in"? And what happens when students graduate with $100,000+ in debt and a $50,000 starting salary? Michael breaks down how to actually use the College Scorecard, explains median earnings data, and helps us understand what graduation rates really mean.

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About Michael: Michael Itzkowitz currently serves as Founder and President of the HEA Group, a higher education research and policy organization that focuses on turning higher education opportunities into real value for students and taxpayers. He brings over 15 years of federal education policy expertise, with his work regularly cited by major outlets including the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. As a Presidential Appointee in the Obama Administration, he directed the College Scorecard—the largest federal higher education data release ever—and served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Postsecondary Education, helping oversee policy for $120 billion in annual federal student aid.

Links: Follow Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-itzkowitz-84786019/ Instagram: @theheagroup https://www.instagram.com/theheagroup/ College Scorecard - https://www.collegescorecard.ed.gov The HEA Group - https://www.theheagroup.com/ Which College Majors Are Worth It?: https://www.theheagroup.com/blog/college-majors-worth-it California College Programs That Pay: https://collegefutures.org/golden-opportunities-programs-that-pay/

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro 04:09 - Rejection and Risk-Taking 06:15 - Working with Obama Administration 09:09 - How He Got His Job 14:28 - Long Game ROI Thinking 18:43 - Conference Networking Strategy 24:23 - Aligning Passion with Mentors 29:50 - Data Objectivity Discussion 35:36 - Is College Worth $400K? 41:29 - How to Research Colleges 58:03 - Understanding Graduation Rates 1:08:10 - Median Earnings Explained 1:12:08 - The $100K Debt Problem 1:17:07 - Financial Fitness Calculator 1:24:17 - Starting Salary Impact 1:29:31 - AI in Data Work 1:38:30 - Final Advice for Students 1:41:36 - HCA Mission and Wrap-Up

THE HARLAN COHEN PODCAST New York Times bestselling author Harlan Cohen has candid conversations with top experts, and leading influencers. Guests share their greatest victories, devastating setbacks, and most valuable advice to help listeners dream big and take action. Hosted by Harlan Cohen, New York Times bestselling author, and speaker. Harlan is the founder of Best First Year, and has over 1 million books in print. His live events, books, programs, and workshops have reached millions of people and changed countless lives.