How Liberal Arts and Sciences Majors Fare in Employment

Book excerpt: Student, parents, and policy makers interested in the "return on investment" of college education tend to place unwarranted emphasis on the choice of undergraduate major, often assuming that a major in a liberal arts field has a negative effect on employment prospects and earnings potential. This new report--which includes data on earnings, employment rates, graduate school earnings bumps, and commonly chosen professions--presents clear evidence to the contrary. It shows not only that the college degree remains a sound investment, especially in these difficult economic times, but also that --as compared to students who major in professional, preprofessional, or STEM fields--liberal arts majors fare very well in terms of both earnings and long-term success.