The Returns To College Major Choice

There is a growing body of research examining the labor market returns to college major, motivated by the large returns to skill in the labor market. Prior research has focused almost exclusively on mean effects and has paid little attention to the role of earnings growth and variability. Using linked administrative data from Texas on public K-12 students followed through college into the labor market, we find that the focus on mean differences mask four important features of the returns to college majors. First, majors are associated with varying earnings growth, which makes the returns sensitive to the experience distribution of the sample analyzed. Second, average earnings effects vary across workers; quantile treatment effect estimates show that mean effects mask considerable effect heterogeneity. Third, major choice affects earnings variability within workers over time. College major effects on earnings and variability are negatively correlated; high return majors also have more stable earnings. Finally, there is substantial variation in returns across specific majors within aggregate major groups and across institutions. This variation suggests that estimate of returns to college major are sensitive to how majors are aggregated and the composition of institutions in the sample.

How do the benefits of higher education compare with its costs, and how does this comparison vary across individuals and institutions? These questions are fundamental to quantifying the productivity of the education sector. The studies in Productivity in Higher Education use rich and novel administrative data, modern econometric methods, and careful institutional analysis to explore productivity issues. The authors examine the returns to undergraduate education, differences in costs by major, the productivity of for-profit schools, the productivity of various types of faculty and of outcomes, the effects of online education on the higher education market, and the ways in which the productivity of different institutions responds to market forces. The analyses recognize five key challenges to assessing productivity in higher education: the potential for multiple student outcomes in terms of skills, earnings, invention, and employment; the fact that colleges and universities are “multiproduct” firms that conduct varied activities across many domains; the fact that students select which school to attend based in part on their aptitude; the difficulty of attributing outcomes to individual institutions when students attend more than one; and the possibility that some of the benefits of higher education may arise from the system as a whole rather than from a single institution. The findings and the approaches illustrated can facilitate decision-making processes in higher education.

Over the past few decades, US business and industry have been transformed by the advances and redundancies produced by the knowledge economy. The workplace has changed, and much of the work differs from that performed by previous generations. Can human capital accumulation in the United States keep pace with the evolving demands placed on it, and how can the workforce of tomorrow acquire the skills and competencies that are most in demand? Education, Skills, and Technical Change explores various facets of these questions and provides an overview of educational attainment in the United States and the channels through which labor force skills and education affect GDP growth. Contributors to this volume focus on a range of educational and training institutions and bring new data to bear on how we understand the role of college and vocational education and the size and nature of the skills gap. This work links a range of research areas—such as growth accounting, skill development, higher education, and immigration—and also examines how well students are being prepared for the current and future world of work.

College students are often wrought with indecision about who they are, their future, and their interest. Without help, this uncertainty can cause students to panic, particularly when they are being pressured to define their college major. This new guide helps college students make that decision and many more with confidence and ease. It addresses the problems many undeclared students have, including the fear of making the wrong decision, little awareness of their skills and interests, and a lack of information about majors and careers. First, readers will learn about the key components of a college major decision. Next, they will quickly and systematically pinpoint the best majors for their interest and skills. Finally, readers will be able to learn more about the college majors that interest them most, as well as careers that relate to these majors. Packed with information, this book covers 120 majors that link to 250 careers. Author Laurence Shatkin, PH.D., gives readers an overview of each college major and provides additional information about specializations in the majors, the typical sequence of high school and college courses, and related CIP program codes, everything students need to know to overcome panic and lay the foundation for a rich and rewarding education.

Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has declared school voucher programs constitutional, the many unanswered questions concerning the potential effects of school choice will become especially pressing. Contributors to this volume draw on state-of-the-art economic methods to answer some of these questions, investigating the ways in which school choice affects a wide range of issues. Combining the results of empirical research with analyses of the basic economic forces underlying local education markets, The Economics of School Choice presents evidence concerning the impact of school choice on student achievement, school productivity, teachers, and special education. It also tackles difficult questions such as whether school choice affects where people decide to live and how choice can be integrated into a system of school financing that gives children from different backgrounds equal access to resources. Contributors discuss the latest findings on Florida's school choice program as well as voucher programs and charter schools in several other states. The resulting volume not only reveals the promise of school choice, but examines its pitfalls as well, showing how programs can be designed that exploit the idea's potential but avoid its worst effects. With school choice programs gradually becoming both more possible and more popular, this book stands out as an essential exploration of the effects such programs will have, and a necessary resource for anyone interested in the idea of school choice.

This easy-to-use guide moves from self-assessment to information to decision making. The decision-making process begins with an explanation of what a college major is and what should be considered when making a decision. The next chapters offer three quick exercises to help readers clarify dimensions that are relevant to the choice of a major: their personality type, their strongest skills, and their favorite high school courses. Using the results of these exercises, readers construct a "hot list" of the college majors that seem to suit them the most, plus any others that look interesting. Then they explore their possible choices by reading fact-packed descriptions of 61 popular college majors and the 164 occupations and 95 job specializations linked to these majors. Finally, readers fill out a decision-making checklist, comparing the results of their self-assessment exercises with the facts they have learned about various majors. They weigh the pros and cons to reach a tentative conclusion and receive hints about how to do additional exploration to confirm their decision. With Quick Guide to Choosing Your College Major, the reader will be able to determine their future path fast!

This innovative text simplifies the process of choosing a major from a sometimes overwhelming array of majors and related career fields. It will assist not only the "undecided" student with selecting a major, but also the "major-changer" who is exploring alternative options. A step-by-step process leads students through personal and academic assessment as well as occupational information searches. Through thought-provoking activities, they can explore their academic, career, and personal interests and goals. Students can investigate academic majors from many perspectives, including a search of majors in general, majors on their campus, and majors based on their academic and occupational interests. Highlights of this text include: A Natural Decision-Making Progression. Students are directly and personally involved in activities that involve exploration, reflection, and choice. Extensive Major Exploration. Three distinct approaches help students narrow their List to realistic alternatives. Incorporation of Academic and Career Interests, Abilities, and Values. Self-assessment gives students information on which to base their choice of a major. Formulation of a Graduation Plan. Students use their academic transcripts to summarize all they have Learned and develop a plan for the future.

Discover How to Choose The Perfect College Major!Read on your PC, Mac, smart phone, tablet or Kindle device!You're about to discover the crucial information about choosing the correct college major for you. Millions of people have suffered from making ill-informed decisions in high school and college and are still paying for it years later. It can be overwhelming if you are trying to choose the correct major because of all the various options out there. You also need to understand the risks and benefits of each major, how long it will take to complete, as well as how much it will cost when deciding your own path.This book goes into strategies on how to find out your true passions, how to discover the profitable majors, as well as trying to find the major that will fit your future lifestyle. By investing in this book, you will get some great information if you are looking for some guidance on this topic.Here Is A Preview Of What You'll Learn... Understanding Your True Passion How Much It Will Cost You Self-Reflection And Strategies Your Marketable Skills And Potential Take action right away to invest in your own future by downloading this book, "College Majors: The Ultimate Student's Guide for Choosing The Best College Major For You", for a limited time discount!