The Value of Liberal Art Degrees
Tiffany Smith
March 20, 2014
GSW
Recently, there has been a significant decrease in both employment rates and salaries among new college graduates. Rising college prices, increasing levels of student debt, and a still weak job market all contribute to the skepticism that many face when trying to determine which college degrees are valuable in today’s society, specifically if Liberal Art Degrees are “worth it”. People who earn Liberal Arts Degrees have less job opportunity and security than those who major in skill specific labor such as engineering or the healthcare field. Graduates who major in skill specific labor are more likely to find a job that requires their degree than those who major in Liberal Art Studies.
The liberal arts spectrum covers broad subjects in arts and sciences which leaves many employers confused as to what their specific skills are. The subjects that they study are humanities, social sciences, and natural science. These subjects are much too broad to focus on specific skills like a degree program would. Employers also do not know if the graduate learned the specific skills in college in order to succeed at the particular job.
With hiring still weak in nearly every aspect of the economy, many Liberal Art graduates are alarmed to discover the only jobs open to them involve low-skilled and low-paid work that doesn’t even require a Liberal Arts degree. After all their hard work, they have nothing to show for it. One researcher concludes that “among the members of the class of 2010, just 56% had held at least one job by spring…only about half said that their first job required a college degree” (Rampell 293). With so many unemployed college graduates, it’s important to choose a promising career field.
When Liberal Art Majors do find jobs that require or make use of their degree, they are often still paid less than other degree holders. In the Article, “College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings” researchers conclude that “median
March 20, 2014
GSW
Recently, there has been a significant decrease in both employment rates and salaries among new college graduates. Rising college prices, increasing levels of student debt, and a still weak job market all contribute to the skepticism that many face when trying to determine which college degrees are valuable in today’s society, specifically if Liberal Art Degrees are “worth it”. People who earn Liberal Arts Degrees have less job opportunity and security than those who major in skill specific labor such as engineering or the healthcare field. Graduates who major in skill specific labor are more likely to find a job that requires their degree than those who major in Liberal Art Studies.
The liberal arts spectrum covers broad subjects in arts and sciences which leaves many employers confused as to what their specific skills are. The subjects that they study are humanities, social sciences, and natural science. These subjects are much too broad to focus on specific skills like a degree program would. Employers also do not know if the graduate learned the specific skills in college in order to succeed at the particular job.
With hiring still weak in nearly every aspect of the economy, many Liberal Art graduates are alarmed to discover the only jobs open to them involve low-skilled and low-paid work that doesn’t even require a Liberal Arts degree. After all their hard work, they have nothing to show for it. One researcher concludes that “among the members of the class of 2010, just 56% had held at least one job by spring…only about half said that their first job required a college degree” (Rampell 293). With so many unemployed college graduates, it’s important to choose a promising career field.
When Liberal Art Majors do find jobs that require or make use of their degree, they are often still paid less than other degree holders. In the Article, “College Majors, Unemployment and Earnings” researchers conclude that “median