NAICU - What’s a College Major Worth?

New College Affordability Measures

Initiatives being launched in 2012-13 to help keep students' and families' out-of-pocket costs as low as possible. Tuition cuts and freezes, three-year degree programs, and more. Complete list.

NAICU Statement on President Obama's Higher Ed Proposals

NAICU President David Warren commends the president's commitment to student assistance, and calls for avoiding unintended consequences for students. More

Net Tuition Price Falls 4.1% at Private Colleges

Inflation-adjusted net tuition and fees at private colleges actually dropped 4.1 percent in the last five years, according to a recent College Board report. More

News Search of the Week

Here's what the media are saying about:

Commencement

. . . or visit either our short list of hot topics or our full search-by-topic list to browse news and commentary on any of 100+ higher ed topics.

Banner images provided by Whitworth University.

Home

News Room

What’s a College Major Worth?

Chronicle of Higher Education - Commentary

January 4, 2012

Ever since I read about the Chinese Ministry of Education's decision to phase out college majors that don't give graduates marketable skills, I've been pondering the parallels between China's higher ed headaches and those of the United States. There has for some time been a marked separation in this country between two visions of college education. The first expects that undergraduates will acquire an important knowledge base and analytical habits of mind. The second sees particular value in the pursuit of labor market credentials in, say, crop science or accounting. These two approaches need not be irrevocably opposed.

Related Material

Read the full article...