Posted on 09/13/2010 9:27:39 AM PDT by AccuracyAcademia
College graduates who inhaled the exotic curricula their alma maters offer up are learning a hard lesson: Nobody really cares about them off campus. “If you major in accounting or engineering, you’re pretty likely to get a return on your investment,” economist Richard Vedder told Sarah Kaufman of the Washington Post. “If you’re majoring in anthropology or social work or education, the rate on return is going to be a good deal lower, on average.”
“I’ve talked to some of my own students who’ve graduated and who are working in grocery stores or Wal-Mart,” he said. “The fellow who cut my tree down had a master’s degree and was an honors grad.” Lindsay McCluskey serves as president of the United States Student Association but has apparently run into the trend of which Vedder speaks.
“A recent graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she majored in anthropology, McCluskey is paying down a $20,000 student loan,” Kaufman reports. “She thinks it will probably take her a decade to dig out of that hole—while the balance is accumulating interest—because she can’t afford to make more than the minimum monthly payments.”
Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia.
If you would like to comment on this article, e-mail mal.kline@academia.org
Always have an end-game in mind ... you need to look at salaries and job prospects for your career before making the investment. College is an awfully expensive way to “find yourself”.
SnakeDoc
Yep, people have to learn what major fields can lead to jobs and careers which can justify the big expense of college.
For example, some universities offer a major in women’s studies. While it’s fascinating to study women, and women’s issues, there just is no demand in our economy for college degrees in women’s studies. The same is true of Black studies, philosophy, and many other major fields. How many job ads have you ever seen for philosophers?
His friend said “I joined the Army, served four years; and when I got back, I didn't see ONE job listing for a rifleman.”
Often a degree, no matter the subject, can be a gateway to a good job with higher pay.
“If you’re majoring in anthropology or social work or education, the rate on return is going to be a good deal lower, on average.”
And there’s a good chance you’ll be unemployed and living in your parents’ basement.
Other dead-end majors are Journalism and Communications. Universities are fraudulently fooling students into believing that there are jobs to be had in these failing markets.
Women’s and black studies are good for getting into jobs in the the PC industry, say EO or sexual harassment. When was the last time you saw a white male in charge of the equal opportunity department? Ironically, EO is about the most racially and sexually lopsided career field there is.
If you want to major in “women’s studies”, get married.
This is true on average, but I know at least one community organizer who managed to parlay his degree into the Oval Office. Given that he now lives like a king, I’m pretty sure he’s quite satisfied with his ROI.
USSA means:
a. Union of Soviets and Socialists of America.
b. United States Student Association
c. Uniformly Stupid Students of America
Is there enough intellectual content in accounting to study for four years? I would not discourage my children from majoring in math or the natural sciences even if they did not plan to go for a PhD later. I majored in physics and do not regret it, even though my current work has nothing to do with physics. At least you are learning stuff that is true, unlike sociology, you are stretching your mind and learning about your intellectual limits, and you are learning a lot of math along the way. A physics major could still some business courses to learn the basics.
Once upon a time Anthropology and History majors could get jobs at museums. Those museums don’t exist anymore, no one cares about them and we have to spend national and local tax money on food stamps.
Anyways, it’s only a matter of time before natural sciences etc. are out of work too. My brother is a geologist, his company is going under, they don’t have the money to fix the levees here that need fixing and no one needs anyone to look at rocks unless they’re building on it.
Anyways, it’s only a matter of time before natural sciences etc. are out of work too. My brother is a geologist, his company is going under, they don’t have the money to fix the levees here that need fixing and no one needs anyone to look at rocks unless they’re building on it. That is a short sighted article at best.
oops sorry for the multiple posts...
Mark for later reference.
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