The results are in regarding the most beneficial college degrees. While some of the findings aren’t too shocking, others may cause you to twice about your chosen major.
In a report compiled and developed by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, the earnings for the most common majors has been released for the years 2009-2012:
Image Credit: Georgetown University/PolicyMic
Engineering majors tend to earn the most across the board, especially with ‘recent college graduate’ status at $57,000 and ‘experienced graduate degree holder’ at $114,000 a year.
Other high earning majors include business, healthcare, and architecture. Some of the lower paying fields included education and social work.
Many of the highest paying majors are also some of the likeliest career paths chosen by prospective college students, according to a USA Today list of the top majors picked in the U.S.:
10. History
9. English Language and Literature
8. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
7. Accounting
6. Criminal Justice and Corrections
5. Teacher Education and Professional Development
4. General Biology
3. Nursing
2. General Psychology
1. Business Administration & Management
Although average pay is a natural determining factor for choosing a major, the likeliness of employment is another critical factor in decision making.
The Georgetown study also covered the unemployment rates for certain majors:
Image Credit: Georgetown/Policy Mic
Despite the lower pay grades, fields like agriculture and education have lower unemployment rates:
Those architecture and social science majors who suffer from the worst chances of getting a job as young workers can find some consolation in the fact that if they can snag one, they tend to fare well in terms of income, especially if they eventually specialize at the graduate level. Education majors rank at the bottom of the earnings chart (alongside arts majors), but it isn’t a field difficult to secure employment in without experience.
The employment outlook for the future has improved, according to the Georgetown report and Mic.com:
The Hard Times report found that unemployment rates declined for workers overall, spanning almost every education and experience level between 2009 and 2012. Among recent college graduates, all majors saw a decline in unemployment rates except for communications and journalism majors, whose unemployment rate increased.
With recent reports highlighting job dissatisfaction in the U.S., zeroing in on the major that will place you on the best career path is becoming increasingly important to young Americans.
The post One Chart Shows Which College Degree Will Earn You the Biggest Paycheck appeared first on Independent Journal.