About half of college graduates end up in jobs that don’t require a degree. This begs the question…Is college as valuable as people make it?
Mackenzie Massey, a sophomore inputs her thoughts, ”I think its for some people, if you don’t wanna work in manual labor: a college degree usually gets you a better job.”
Her thoughts are shared by many. According to research done by Pew Research, Two-thirds of Americans (67%) think that a traditional four-year degree prepares students for a well-paying job in today’s economy at least somewhat well, but just 16% think it prepares them very well, and 29% think it does not prepare them well.
Some think it can depend on the major you pursue, which I 100% agree with, there are majors that I think are POINTLESS to pursue.
According to Business Insider, “pointless” majors limit your career potential. What are they?
- Acting or theater arts
- Film
- Anthropology
- Civilization studies
- Philosophy
What determines a “pointless major”?
It’s simply a field of study that is not considered profitable and one that will not result in a high-paying job after graduation which is the ultimate goal of most students. The debt obtained from attending college is no joke, especially in our economy now which is why playing your cards right with your major is important.
Debt should be the most important factor when you choose to go to college. You have to ask yourself if the career you intend to pursue has a wage that can satisfy your debt? If it doesn’t, what do you do?
Considering the average span of paying off student debt is 20 years, you have to plan. According to education data.org, the average cost of college has more than doubled in the 21st century, with an annual growth rate of 2% over the past 10 years. This doesn’t sound very hopeful as time goes on, especially if your career isn’t matching the numbers you owe.
TONS want to go out-of-state as well, which increases tuition by a big amount. The average cost of in-state tuition alone is $9,678, while out-of-state tuition averages $27,091.
Why take on such a big number for a career that isn’t producing the numbers to freely pay it back? A “college experience” can’t be worth that much.
What about majors that ARE successful?
Investopedia states that the most lucrative majors you can choose consist of…
- Engineering
- Nursing
- Computer science
- Science-related majors
- Math related majors
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) degrees dominate the list of collegiate programs that lead to top-paying careers.
Job availability, job growth, flexibility, and a high salary are the wants of so many.
STEM and medical careers can provide the opportunity to grow because there is so much availability within the fields. The skills you learn are versatile, which prepare graduates for numerous careers instead of being confined to one. Not to mention, the income is a huge plus.
What it all comes down to is this.
Choosing to do what you love is important, but so is making responsible financial decisions.
