How to Determine the Worth of Your College Major

Determine the Worth of Your College Major

Earning a college degree should help to increase your job opportunities and your earning potential.  At the very least it will give you some direction where your career path is concerned.

However, not all majors are equal.  Doctors, for example, stand to earn a lot more money than English majors.  Of course, it could also depend on the school you attend, but choosing your major is the first step.

How can you determine what your major is worth?  Knowing what you stand to earn and if you’ll have a job waiting for you when you graduate could definitely play a role in how much you’re willing to spend on your degree.  Here are just a few factors that could help you to figure out the value of a particular major.

Median Salary

There are plenty of websites that can give you a rough idea of what others with degrees in your chosen profession stand to earn.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a good place to start, although the information can be somewhat generic.

You might also want to check sites like PayScale and Salary.com that provide median salary information for a wide range of specific jobs.  When you have a major in mind you can look into different careers and determine how much money you’re likely to make.

Anticipated Market Growth

Again, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is a great place to search for information when you want to learn about anticipated growth for the industry or profession that interests you.  It’s important to know if there will be jobs available in the coming years.

This is also a good way to look into potential alternatives.  If your intended major doesn’t look promising in terms of salary and job availability in the coming years, you can consider other interests that may be more fruitful.  After all, you’re going to school to improve your career prospects.

Demand for Goods or Services

Certain types of jobs are always going to be in high demand.  Healthcare, technology, and engineering fields, for example, will always need qualified workers.

Of course, the jobs that are needed within these fields can change.  For example, there is a greater demand for nurses than doctors of late, and jobs in IT security are on the rise.

The point is that you need to consider which goods and services look to remain relevant and popular over the course of time.  This can help you determine if your chosen major is worthwhile.

Competition for Major Programs

It wasn’t that long ago that web design was the most popular major.  These days you can hardly throw a rock without hitting an out-of-work web designer.  The point is that you may not necessarily want to choose a major just because it’s popular right now.

You need to consider a number of factors before choosing your major, including your talents, your interests, and what you will spend on your education versus what you stand to earn once you have your degree.  When you’ve determined the potential value of your chosen major, you can attend the University knowing that the time and money you spend will be worthwhile.