Worst-Paying College Degrees

Yahoo ^ | 10 May, 2010 | Charles Purdy

[throwback]

There's no denying the value of a college education: According to recent U.S. Census surveys, the median salary for college grads is more than $20,000 higher than that of people with only a high school diploma. And the unemployment rate for people with bachelor's degrees is almost half the rate for people without.

But some degrees are worth more than others, as PayScale.com shows in its 2010 report on the earning power of bachelor's degrees.

[muir_redwoods]

It could be for the right buyer

[Huebolt]

We had a Lieutenant in Nam who had a degree in “RECREATIONAL PARKS ADMINISTRATION”. Disneyland etc. OMG!

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

According to recent U.S. Census surveys, the median salary for college grads is more than $20,000 higher than that of people with only a high school diploma.

Ugh. As Walter Williams said, a child who logs a lot of air-miles will, over the course of his lifetime, earn much more than his non-flying peers. But that doesn't mean that we should be flying children around in airplanes.

For some people, attending college will increase their lifetime earnings. And for other people, it will diminish it.

[Soothesayer]

Why couldn’t those airplanes hit Columbia instead?!

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

If you have passion for what you do, and you are determined to be the best at it, and do whatever it takes, it doesn’t matter what your degree is, you will be successful. But most people aren’t willing to do that, they try to coast, and think the degree alone will make them successful.

A good insight. That was me. I went to school for engineering (smart, right?), a subject I had no interest in. When I graduated from college, I decided to go into illustration (my God-given talent and love) instead. Today, I make a good living, and I'm happy. It was a hard road, but worth it. I would do it all over again.

[Gay State Conservative]

My nephew is within 12 months of getting an *absolutely* worthless degree.Mom's picking up the $120K tab (his Dad is deceased).I tried to warn my sister at the beginning but she wouldn't listen.And my nephew,like many kids his age,didn't hear a word I said.

Sad,IMO.I fear for the kid's future.

[mlocher]

They need to normalize the education salaries based on the number of months in a year and hours in a day worked.

[mlocher]

College is an investment.

Or, its a ticked to becoming a debt-slave.

[thomas16]

for later

[JoeFromSidney]

Also, I get a kick out of the teachers who get doctorates in education so they can play principal and get called “Dr” for the world’s easiest PhD.

I was once asked to advise a candidate for a PhD in Education on a statistical method he was using in his dissertation (I had a lot of experience with the method). He was doing it right, so advising him was easy. Basically, he was analyzing the results of a survey. That wouldn't get him a PhD in any of the physical sciences. What really struck me, though, was all the hoops he was being forced to jump through. His proposal for his dissertation was longer than my whole dissertation. I concluded that they were making him do busywork so that he'd value his PhD. "It mist be worth something; look how hard I had towork to get it."

[Chode]

LOL, from California, right???

[JoeFromSidney]

"There are two types of people in the world; those who lump people into two groups, and those that don't."

There are 10 types of people in the world; those who understand binary and those who don't.

[Gen.Blather]

I once knew a guy who had a PhD. in (I kid you not) Russian Art literature. With rounded eyes I asked, “Gosh, where do you get a job with a degree like that?” His soon to be former wife rolled her eyes and answered, “When the guy who’s teaching it now dies.”

I’ve long felt that students should sign a form warning them that the degree they are seeking will not pay for itself and will not lead to anything other than the unemployment line or a perpetual sinecure as a graduate student.

[MikefromOhio]

Yeah but that’s Patrick freakin Swayze LOL

[roadcat]

The six most used words of a music major: “Would you like fries with that?”

I was worried about my younger daughter majoring in music. She got her 4-year degree and has done quite well. She started as a magazine editor and writer for music-field related magazines. She is now a free-lancer also doing web/HTML editing for music media, telecommuting online from her home. 2 hours a day gets her more money than the full-time work she used to do in an office.

Young people need to think outside the box, and they. Can be successful.

[Eagle Eye]

She probably paid/borrowed more per year for her college experience than she’ll make per year for several years.

[mad_as_he$$]

Growing field in the Goobermint employment. She will probably do fine.

[KSCITYBOY]

Regardless of degree or even no degree. Those that succeed are those that are driven to succeed. You could have a PHD and be a still be loser.

[Eagle Eye]

$5000 up front and $500 per night and that was back in 1992 or so.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

An English degree can be quite useful in the business world.