My son went for a degree that suited him. Just because it’s Engineering doesn’t mean that ALL other degrees are garbage.
I think that you can tell which ones are garbage and which ones aren’t. I gave a partial listing earlier. I think that you would concur. At least I would hope so.
Is this your statement as to those degrees which you consider garbage: “And just to be clear, I do not consider Criminal Justice a “garbage degree”. I leave that label for other “degrees” such as “Journalism”, “Communications”, “Social Work”, “Multi-media” ANY of the “Liberal Arts”, “Basket Weaving” and so on.”
I’m still looking for that university that offers a major in basket weaving. But aside from that, I would not argue that degrees in journalism, communications (unless your objective is to go into radio and television and the college offers courses that provide specific background in this field), multi-media (whatever that is), and social work may be not exactly what employers are looking for.
But I take considerable exception to your classification of degrees in the liberal arts as being garbage. Perhaps it has escaped you but these majors are the basis for what used to be the primary purpose of education, i.e., producing persons instructed in critical thinking and able to write and speak well (see the Trivium of Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric). In addition, advanced education should turn out individuals who are “well-rounded and cultured” in that they have an understanding of their society and its arts, political system, and its general norms thereof. Sophisticated, if you will.
I cannot provide chapter and verse (i.e., a reference) but it is my understanding that Wall Street hires a lot of people with strong backgrounds in the liberal arts.
With the exception of certain professions (engineering, law, medicine and the like), employers tend to take people and train them in what they want them to know. That would especially include people who have undergone a solid grounding in what I have outlined, sketchily, to be sure.
What I am saying is that degrees in the liberal arts are not what you so delicately describe as garbage.
As Exhibit A, I graduated in 1966 with a degree in political science. I had wanted to go to law school, and this is one of the degrees recommended. Unfortunately, even though I did well on the Law School Admission Test, I had chosen the wrong parents and the money was not there. Nevertheless, I found a job right away as a surety bond underwriter. Later, I changed jobs and got a degree in economics (hope that is acceptable to you) and things went well.
Today I am retired and my wife and I subsist on two pensions totalling $95,000 annually. Not bad for a person with two garbage degrees.
Yes, yes, I know that was another time, another age, but the principles hold true.