Tag: choosing a major


Where the jobs are for future college graduates

Posted on July 8th, 2015

While college does more than prepare you for a job, it’s a reality that career preparation is part of a college education.

With the average cost of college rising rapidly each year and student debt topping $1.2 trillion, it’s crucial for today’s college students to research what types of jobs they’ll be able to get after college and figure out how much they can expect to make, particularly if they have student loans to pay.

Continue Reading »


What job will you get with your college major?

Posted on May 29th, 2015

When many students choose a major, particularly one in the liberal arts or humanities, they often face questions from friends and family about “what they’re going to do” with that major once they graduate.

While a major is no guarantee that you will or won’t be qualified for a job, there are some general trends among majors that can help students understand their career options.

Continue Reading »


The Highest & Lowest Paying Majors By Starting Salary

Posted on November 30th, 2014

While we believe you should major in a subject you enjoy because you’ll do better if you’re interested in the material, there’s no denying that some college majors pay better than others–usually because students in these positions gain more specialized, in-demand knowledge.

According to a new study from Michigan State University, electrical engineering majors have the highest starting salaries out of college, with the average graduate making $57,030 in the first year.

Continue Reading »


The economic value of college majors

Posted on September 12th, 2014

"Today’s college students, then, need to choose a major that maximizes their chances of graduating, and minimizes their chances of ending up in that bottom 25 percent, where they would have been better off skipping college, at least financially." -- Ben Casselman

While the return on value of a college degree is at an all-time high, according to a recent analysis by FiveThirtyEight, not all degrees are created equal. As we’ve written, the return on investment of a college degree depends on many factors, including the field of study, student’s debt level, and what the graduate does with […]

Continue Reading »


The college majors that lead to the most & least underemployment

Posted on September 2nd, 2014

When it comes to choosing a college major, we’re advocates for doing what you love and picking the area in which you’re most interested.

If you’re passionate about what you’re studying, you’re more likely to succeed both during and after college.

That being said, particularly with the rising cost of college and increasing student debt, we believe that students need to be realistic about their future prospects when making the choice to attend a college and, perhaps, go into debt to earn a Bachelor’s degree.

Continue Reading »


The value of the liberal arts

Posted on December 9th, 2013

"After a semester or a year, students discover fields they never even knew existed—anthropology, sociology, linguistics, sustainable development—and a good number change course...I tell them that what matters most in college is not what they major in, but that they find something they love—something they can imagine doing for a lifetime." -- Justin Snider

In an era of high college costs, it’s more important than ever to carefully consider your college major and future earnings before taking out thousands of dollars in student loans. With the cost of college on the rise and increasing student debt, many people have started to question whether majoring in a liberal arts discipline–which […]

Continue Reading »


20 Lowest Paying College Majors for 2013

Posted on October 8th, 2013

While salary shouldn’t be your only consideration when choosing a college major, it’s certainly something that you should take into account when deciding how much you can afford to invest in a college education.

If you know you’re planning on entering one of these lower-paying fields, it may not make financial sense to take out hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. Just because a field has low starting salaries doesn’t mean there’s no room for growth. For example, Anthropology majors make an average of just $36,200 at the beginning of their careers, but jump to $61,400 by mid-career.

Continue Reading »