The Best Majors

BRIANNA HARRINGTON

BUSINESS EDITOR

@BNH1995

One of the most common worries before graduation is if we will be able to find jobs in the field that we want. With the current rates of unemployment and the economy the way it is, this is a reasonable concern. It is troubling to think that after we graduate from college, we may not have many opportunities for employment.

However, we can relax a little knowing that recent data from a research report done by Georgetown University shows that unemployment rates for college graduates are dropping for some majors. The research revealed that the degrees that are helping people out with jobs right now are agriculture, mining, teaching, medicine, physics, and chemistry. The job market for these fields is booming right now.

Although this is good news, the report also carried a heavy punch for other majors.

Graduates with degrees in architecture or social science are twice as likely to be unemployed, and the unemployment rates for degrees in communication and journalism are actually on the rise.

However, things are not as bleak as they may seem to be. The research from Georgetown University showed that although unemployment rates may be increasing in some areas, people with college degrees are still more likely to get jobs than those who only have high school diplomas. College graduates are also likely to earn about 75 percent more than what a high school graduate earns yearly.

The data from the study also showed that architects and social scientists might benefit in the long run. Even though they may start at a disadvantage, it is believed by the research team at Georgetown University that graduates with those degrees are positioned for success, because experienced workers with those degrees eventually earn more money on average.

However, there is no best major. According to data released by the New York Federal Reserve, only about 27 percent of college graduates currently employed are working in jobs that are strictly related to their majors.

Landing a job that does not completely relate to our major does not mean the end of the world. As long as we study what we’re passionate about, whether we are studying English or Biochemistry, we are sure to  do our best and to   continue pursuing our passions, no matter what job we get once we graduate from USD.