How do I figure out if more schooling is worth the money?

You keep circling the question of whether more schooling is worth it, but you cannot make the numbers concrete. That is a common and costly place to be stuck, because the decision is big and the math feels slippery. The good news is that this is a question numbers can actually answer, if you make them sit still. The real calculation has two sides. On one side is the full cost: tuition, yes, but also the income you give up while studying and any interest on debt. On the other side is the realistic gain: not the best case, but the likely bump in earnings, over the years you will actually work. Compare those honestly and the fog starts to lift. So write it down. Total cost on the left, expected extra earnings on the right, using conservative numbers you believe. Seeing it on paper turns a vague worry into a decision you can defend. The answer may still be yes. But it will be a yes you chose, not one you drifted into.