I don't really have a recommendation but I will try to shed some light on your situation based on my previous experience. If you are a programmer, sysadmin, or

I don't really have a recommendation but I will try to shed some light on your situation based on my previous experience. If you are a programmer, sysadmin, or in any other IT related field, the opportunity cost of leaving the industry is higher right now because of the numerous opportunities available. I did leave the industry 3 years ago to get a Masters degree. My return on investment was higher, though, as it gave me the opportunity to switch job markets from a developing country to a US job market (graduates of STEM [1] programs are offered incentives to stick around). Would I do it again if you don't factor in the changing job markets? Possibly. I was lucky enough to go to a program where I was allowed to take courses from other schools. I took difficult courses and did miserably on some of them in a program where everyone around me was obsessed about grades. And I enjoyed those throughly. As for the opportunities available after graduating, I'm not sure there is a significant benefit. In fact, you may be at a disadvantage since some companies that come to colleges for recruiting often don't differentiate between a graduate with experience vs. one who has none. You may all be grouped into the 'college hire' category. This means you get a standard offer that every other college hire gets and not one based on your previous experience. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STEM_fields#Immigration_policy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STEM_fields#Immigration_policy