Universities Weblog

Your college major doesn't matter. Just pick a subject that appeals to you and worry about job prospects later.

Bad advice, at least if you heed the warnings in the College Majors Handbook: The Actual Jobs, Earnings, and Trends for Graduates of 60 College Majors (JIST Works, 1999). The authors, three economists from Northeastern University, demonstrate that college majors do affect income potential and therefore dictate "success." accountants and engineers, for instance, earn far more on average than educators and poets.

Not surprisingly, critics are quick to cite the dangers of equating dollars with success, and suggest that students should be more open-minded in choosing majors. Here's a bit from a New York Times piece:

Trudy Steinfeld, director of career services at New York University, tells students that majors should be less about preparing for one career and more about preparing for many options, and probably several careers, over a lifetime. She agrees with the Northeastern data showing that finance, accounting and technology degrees will lead to higher salaries. But she says she also sees liberal arts majors who become equally successful.

"College should be about stretching yourself and discovering who you are and what you want," Ms. Steinfeld said. "Schools should not become factories. There are hundreds of majors out there, and it's almost always a mistake to base the decision on money alone."Makes sense to me. I'd add this: If you choose a major primarily because of expected future earnings and not because you actually enjoy the subject, you probably won't earn good grades. That, in turn, might diminish your employment prospects. Pick a subject that interests you and concentrate on doing well. Your major doesn't define who you are and certainly doesn't determine or limit your career options as much as you may think. That's especially true if you're considering grad school.

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