<prompt> Human: Currently an RN making 60,000 per year, with 60k in student loans. I am planning on going back to school to be a Nurse Practitioner, but I would need to borrow 80k for tuition and 40k for living expenses for the 2 year program. So my entire student loan balance will be around 180,000. New salary should be about 90k. What do you think?Edit: thanks everybody for your input, and especially the in-depth analyses! Im leaning towards doing the program part-time in 3 years. That means no borrowing for living expenses, I wont have to defer my existing loans, and Ill maximize my jobs tuition reimbursement. This drops the total cost by about 65,000!  <response>: Also remember it costs you two years.Wages lost for two years: 120kCosts lost in Debt: 120KYears to pay back: 4 assume same living standards of 60kyear Tack on an extra 10k for interest and misc.Total money lost: 250kGain: 30kyear. Years to break even: 8 assuming raises scale with salary.If you KNOW you want to be a nurse practitioner, and you have a good expectation of finding that 90k job, and youre not going to abandon it, and youre going to work it for say, 15 years or so, then it makes sense.Youre looking at a cost of 240k over two years, plus interest payments, in exchange for 30k bonus per year. But keep in mind that since youre in debt, you really shouldnt enjoy the extra money youre making until the loans are paid off. So 2 years of school, plus 5 years of same quality living as you do now, which shouldnt be intolerable. Be smart about it, but go for it. 