Upskilling ROI Analyzer — Is That Degree Worth It?
Is that degree really worth it?
"A master's will raise my salary, right?" That question usually gets half an answer. Two years of full-time study often costs more in lost income than in tuition; part-time and online programs have lower completion rates; and few people ever calculate how big the raise must be to pay it all back.
What you get
- NPV and payback: tuition, income you give up, the job search after graduating, student loans and completion odds — compared year by year with staying in your current job.
- Break-even raise: the minimum raise after finishing that makes it worth it. That's your safety margin.
- Risk cases: what's left if the raise is only half of what you expect, or if you don't finish.
- Sensitivity tables: raise × completion odds and raise × discount rate, so you can see when the answer flips.
Who it's for
Anyone weighing a master's, MBA, part-time program, professional certificate, career-change bootcamp or study abroad. Any country, field or program.
How to use
- Download from Capafy — you get a zip file (no need to unzip).
- In Claude, turn on code execution, then upload the zip under Settings → Skills. (Claude Code users: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/.)
- Describe your situation in plain English. Claude asks for the numbers it needs, runs the model, and walks you through the results.
Output and language
Claude explains the results in your language. The Excel workbook and written report are currently labeled in Traditional Chinese; English labels are planned for a future version.
Privacy
Runs locally in your own Claude environment. No external connections, no API keys, and your numbers never leave your machine.
Requirements
A Claude environment that can run Python (e.g. Claude Code, or Claude with code execution enabled). Uses openpyxl; Claude can install it on first run.
Disclaimer
Results are estimates based on your assumptions and don't predict actual pay or job outcomes; the tax rate is an assumption. For personal planning only — not education, career, tax, or investment advice. No schools or courses are recommended.
