Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

U.S. Census Bureau to Stop Measuring the Value of College Majors

  • 12/15/14

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Census Bureau is proposing eliminating the collection of data on the value of college majors from its annual American Community Survey (ACS). At a time when seven out of 10 high school graduates enroll in college, that move would eliminate the only information that students, parents and educators can rely on to understand the economic benefits of individual college majors, according to researchers at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

All college degrees are valuable but some majors are much more valuable than others. The difference between the highest paying and lowest paying major is $90,000 in annual salary, a difference that accumulates to more than $4 million over a career according to the Center’s previous research.

“At a time when what you take in college determines what you make, the fact that they’re proposing this is difficult to understand,” says Anthony P. Carnevale, the Center’s director. “This move would be a huge step backward in nationwide efforts to help students make informed choices about what to study in college.”

The ACS’s coverage on college majors has served to inform students, colleges, media and the general public not only on earnings of a particular college major but also on differences in employment rates by major nationwide and in individual states.

“The demand for this kind of information is enormous,” says Jeff Strohl, the Center’s research director. “Every year, college students and their families are making decisions about what to study that will affect them for the rest of their lives.”

The ACS is an annual nationwide survey of 3 million households. Since its launch in 2005, the survey has helped researchers produce findings on college majors that are targeted toward students, career counselors, high schools, colleges, policymakers and community leaders.

The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is an independent, nonprofit research and policy institute that studies the link between individual goals, education and training curricula, and career pathways. The Center is affiliated with the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy. For more information, visit: http://cew.georgetown.edu.

Featured

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Niles West High School Natatorium Renovation

    Natatoriums are highly specialized spaces, and luminaires in this setting face several unique challenges. Perhaps the most significant is corrosion, which is exacerbated by high indoor humidity, condensation, and pool chemicals, often resulting in material degradation in luminaires not certified to perform in corrosive environments.

  • Indiana Wesleyan University Schedules Grand Opening for New Welcome Center

    Indiana Wesleyan University recently announced that it will soon open a new Welcome Center on its campus in Marion, Ind., according to a news release. The facility will serve as the home base for prospective students and their families to learn more about the university and student life there. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for February 19.