How do I decide if a credential is worth the cost?

You weigh the cost of a credential against what it will really return, and you decide with clear eyes. That is a rare discipline. Most people chase degrees for the reassurance of them, or avoid them out of fear, without ever doing the honest math you do. The strength of your approach is that you treat a credential as a means, not a totem. A piece of paper is worth exactly what it opens, no more. Seeing that plainly protects you from both the trap of over-credentialing and the mistake of dismissing real value when it is there. You are neither seduced nor cynical. The one thing to keep watching is that not every return shows up in money. Some credentials open doors that pay in meaning, access, or the work itself. So when you run your next calculation, leave a line for the value that is real but not financial. Weigh it honestly too. Clear eyes should see the whole picture, not only the priced part.