While they complain of a shortage of STEM workers, the inflation adjusted starting pay for new graduates in my degree has barely moved and gone down in inflation adjusted numbers since I graduated. Why? Because they can bring someone in on an H-1B who has more credentials and qualifications (on paper anyway) and flood the market. HR departments also get to fluff out their minority numbers by getting H-1Bs since, in my experience, they almost never come from European countries.
My work only tangentially relates to my original degree, but my degree was a lot more work and effort than others spent to get into the same field. It makes me feel like I wasted time and effort and I would not recommend others take the same path.
My advice to kids is: don’t go to college unless someone else is paying. If you do pay, get your gen-ed classes done at a local community college that can transfer those credits to where you want to get your core degree from. Don’t rush into picking a major, figure out what you have an aptitude for and will pay well. Preferably figure out a career path that lets you work for yourself.
I am anti union but it would no take much to convince me if any group need a strong union it would be STEM. Physicians and nurses are next on the chopping wage cutting H-1B block.