Category: Degree360

Many high school graduates fret over their future, and for those following the news, the situation may seem murkier than ever. According to the New York Federal Reserve, the nation’s student loan debt has reached a staggering $1.16 trillion. Couple this with today’s crummy job market and students weighing their options might begin to wonder if college is even worth it anymore. Well, one report says it is. In fact, recent research suggests the only thing less affordable than college is not going at all.

The case for college

A 2014 study from the Pew Research Center found that college-educated millennials outperform their less-educated peers on practically every economic measure. According to the report, the median annual salary for full-time workers ages 25 to 32 who possess bachelor’s degrees is roughly $17,500 higher than for those with high school diplomas alone — the widest education-related earnings gap in modern history. College graduates also have significantly lower unemployment rates — 3.8 percent compared to 12.2 percent — and report being more satisfied with their current jobs. The analysis is based on a nationally representative survey of 2,002 adults, supplemented with economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The idea that college grads earn higher salaries is not precisely new: The Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported for years that earnings tend to increase with education, especially with advanced degrees. What makes the Pew report so significant is that it not only finds those same trends for today’s college grads, in this post-recession economy, but reveals the disparity is actually widening. When the Baby Boomers were in the same age bracket (25-32), bachelor’s degree holders earned 23 percent more than high school graduates (based on median annual wages). Today, that gap is a whopping 38 percent.

College grads may wonder why, despite these promising numbers, they still feel like they’re struggling more than previous generations. According to Pew, there is a very good reason for that: They are.

High school diplomas: Not what they used to be

A preliminary review of Pew’s data might lead one to think that a college degree is worth more today than it was a few decades ago, but according to the study, that’s not exactly the case. The Great Recession affected most Americans across the board, but it hit millennials particularly hard. Pew reports that the share of today’s young college graduates living in poverty is larger than it was for Gen Xers, baby boomers and members of the Silent Generation at the same age. But as much as recent college graduates are struggling, Pew notes those without degrees are struggling more. It’s not that college degrees are worth more than they used to be — it’s that high school diplomas are worth less.

Today, foregoing a degree may not only mean less money, but also a more challenging job market, higher poverty, and more regrets. It’s no wonder, then, that nine out of 10 college graduates told Pew they were happy with their decision to go to school, even if their entrance into the career world has been a rocky one. As with most things, however, some are happier than others.

Major matters — but only to a degree

It is no secret that some college graduates may earn more and enjoy greater job security than others, and according to a new report from Georgetown University, much of that good fortune can be traced back to major. Their analysis reveals that almost all of the highest paying college majors last year were in STEM, health, and business fields. Early childhood education, human services, and performing arts majors, on the other hand, tended to earn the least. In fact, the 2015 Georgetown reports that the top-paying majors earn graduates $3.4 million more over their lifetime than the lowest-paying ones. Perhaps that’s why, according to Pew, science and engineering majors are less likely than those from other disciplines to regret their choices. They are also more likely to say their educations were relevant, and tend to stay in their chosen field. Social science majors were found more likely to regret their college choices, less likely to say their educations were applicable to their jobs, and apt to change industries more often.

Despite this variation, Pew notes that the vast majority of college grads still say higher education is a worthwhile investment. Paul Taylor, Pew’s executive vice president and co-author of the report, is inclined to agree.

“In today’s knowledge-based economy, the only thing more expensive than getting a college education is not getting one,” Taylor told The Associated Press. “Young adults see significant economic gains from getting a college degree regardless of the level of student debt they have taken on.”

Sources:
“6 key findings about going to college,” Pew Research Center, February 11, 2014, Andrea Caumont, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/02/11/6-key-findings-about-going-to-college/
“Earnings and unemployment rates by educational attainment,” Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_chart_001.htm
“Student loan debt piles up to $1.16 trillion: NY Fed,” CNBC, February 15, 2015, John W. Schoen, http://www.cnbc.com/2015/02/17/student-loan-debt-piles-up-to-116-trillion-ny-fed/
“The Rising Cost of Not Going to College,” Pew Research: Social & Demographic Trends, February 11, 2014, http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/02/11/the-rising-cost-of-not-going-to-college/
“Widest Earnings Gap For College Grads In 48 Years,” Associated Press, February 11, 2014, Hope Yen, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/widest-earnings-gap-college-grads-48-years
“The Economic Value of College Majors,” Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2015, https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/valueofcollegemajors/

When Mike Lally graduated from Michigan State University, degrees were often considered optional. Today, the Senior Food Safety Inspector with the Michigan Department of Agriculture says a degree is crucial for his job. “I could not have pursued my current career without it,” he said.

Today, despite rising tuition fees, a majority of Americans still believe that both community colleges and four-year institutions are still worth the cost according to a 2017 report by New America.

And there are numbers to prove this. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) report ‘America’s Divided Recovery: College Haves and Have-Nots’ states that college graduates now make up a larger share of the workforce than high school graduates.

While public perception and the high number of college grads in the workforce may be in favor of a college education, the question still arises “is a college education actually worth it?”

Can you expect ROIs on your college education?

The simple answer is a resounding YES! However, when you get down to the brass tacks, the answer to this question is slightly complex as the CEW found while attempting to rank the Return on Investment on 4500 colleges across the country. The type of college, the degree you earn, and the major you choose can all play a role in your potential future earnings.

Type of college:

Degrees from private colleges have a higher ROI in the long term (40 years) than those from public colleges, and this is despite the fact that students attending public colleges often need to take on about half the debt of those enrolled in private colleges. The study found that median annual earnings varied by as much $8000 a year in the favor of those who had degrees from private institutions. After paying debts, the study reports that graduates of private colleges showed long-term net economic gains of $838,000 compared to $765,000 for public college grads.

Type of degree:

It’s a well-known that the higher your degree, the higher your potential earnings. The CEW in its 2018 publication ‘Five Rules of the College and Career Game’ shows that the median earnings of BA degree holders were nearly twice the median earnings of those with a high school diploma. Median wages rose with graduate degrees.

In terms of ROIs, CEW found that certificates and associate degrees gave the highest short-term (10 years after enrollment) returns; although this may be because student debt is lower and individuals enter the workforce sooner. However, the same study found that bachelor’s degrees eventually pay off better in the long run.

The major:

It almost goes without saying that some professions pay more than others on average. CEW found that certificates in nursing were particularly valuable in the short term. In its 2018 report on colleges and careers, it found that the disparity between earnings can be huge even at the same degree level. For example, BAs in architecture and engineering lead to median annual earnings of $85,000 which is $39,000 more than the median annual earnings of education majors at $46,000.

To quote the study ‘Some certificates pay more than some associate’s degrees, some associate’s degrees pay higher than some bachelor’s degrees, and some bachelor’s degrees result in higher earnings than some graduate degrees.’

While the career you choose may include factors that go beyond earnings, like interests and passion for example, one fact the study is clear on is that those with a college education earned more than workers with a high school diploma.

What are the benefits of a college degree?

Apart from higher earnings, a college degree can bring other benefits too. Surprising ones!

A 2017 study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine showed that those with a college degree were at a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease. A 2019 study in the same journal shows that the life expectancy of those with a four-year degree is longer than those with a high school diploma.

If living longer isn’t incentive enough; how about the chances of getting a job? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that bachelor’s degree holders had lower unemployment rates (2.2 percent) than those with a high school diploma in April 2018 (4.1 percent). The difference between unemployment rates increases with educational attainment.

And think of all the lifelong friends you’ll make, not to forget the acquaintances. In fact, a survey conducted on LinkedIn showed that 85 percent of open jobs were filled due to networking. College can be a great place to practice your networking skills.

Rise of online education and college accessibility

Online learning addresses a big barrier to higher education: the need to earn an income. Although traditional degree programs may require a full-time commitment, online programs are often specifically structured to work around existing employment and family obligations. That may be one reason why students studying online are generally older.

Financing a degree can be a challenge. In Lally’s case, he plans to encourage his children to apply for scholarships and take advantage of opportunities that can cut costs and help lessen the need to take out student loans, such as serving as a residential assistant in campus dorms.

Online degree programs can negate costs like transport to lectures, parking and on-campus residency fees and so reduce the financial burden associated with earning a degree. Additionally, students of online degree programs are eligible for many of the same federal loans, grants and scholarship programs that are available to students studying at traditional colleges.

While earning a degree can be a challenge in itself, the process of getting a job can be difficult too. Recognizing this, many online colleges offer resume building, interview workshops, job fairs, networking events and more. In fact, some colleges allow their alumni to continue to use these services long after they have graduated.

Regardless of whether you choose to pursue an online or an on-campus program, as the Association of American Universities (AAU) Vice President of Public Affairs Barry Toiv says, “While there are understandable concerns about college costs…a college education offers knowledge and critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills that provide individuals with opportunities in their professional and personal lives.”

Don’t panic or anything, but choosing a university major can be an important and long-term decision with effects on your life in school and afterward. Some students spend two, three even four or more years deliberating between English and history. Some of us, though, have a taste for the unconventional that can only be satisfied by unique majors. You might end up learning how to make sausage or wine or metal art. Take a look at these 9 schools that offer ways to pursue your particular passion.

• Arizona State University lets you explore the fringes of the cosmos with astrobiology, the study of life beyond the stars. Despite its seemingly fanciful description, the program isn’t just an excuse to draw your favorite imaginary space monsters. The focus is on the building blocks of life, why those particular elements were chosen, and how the rules for their selection might differ in environments other than the one on Earth. Biology, astrophysics and biochemistry each require intensive academic engagement, and astrobiology contains elements of all three, so it might take more than just owning every season of Dr. Who to be up to the task.
• Hinds Community College provides enterprising Mississippi students with a certificate program in meat merchandising that’s designed to last three semesters (one year). According to the college, about 80 percent of students could have program-appropriate jobs waiting for them when they graduate. With the goal of preparing students for careers, the Meat Merchandising Certificate Program provides training in industry skills such as slaughtering, aging, quartering, cutting, chilling and inspecting the various cuts of meat destined for grills and supper tables nationwide. Program facilities include a large smoker, a quality control laboratory, a walk-in freezer and a large cutting room equipped like a caterer’s or retail butcher shop.
• North Carolina State University is also angling for food lovers and aggies with its Bachelor of Science in Poultry Science degree. This program exposes students to the finer points of raising healthy chickens, ducks and turkeys for their meat or eggs. This major may be rare, but it’s not all that strange if you think about it — when was the last time you ate an egg? The poultry industry is a broad avenue on the map of American foodways and beyond, even providing modern medicine with insight into human vaccines through the study of chicken and duck embryos. Students examine topics like avian physiology, hatchery management, feed formation and live poultry evaluation.
• Penn State University allows students to focus on professional golf management as they pursue a Bachelor of Science in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management. This degree option is built on three main elements — business, recreation science and, well, golf. Students not only have to pass courses in financial accounting, business planning, hospitality operations and recreation services management but also must successfully complete the PGA’s Playing Ability Test (P.A.T.), which is just what it sounds like. Golf management students have to play 36 holes of professional-caliber golf and finish within 15 strokes of par at a PGA sanctioned event before being allowed to graduate.
• Southern Illinois University in Carbondale pays homage to the high-tech industries of the past with its arts degree programs in metalsmithing. Applications include museum work as well as the arts. The metalsmithing studio at SIU is equipped to help students learn the basic tasks of modern smithing — casting, forming, raising, etching, fabrication, enameling and electroforming as they experiment with iron and precious metals. The program also aims to show students the value of working with their hands while developing both aesthetic values and technical skill.
• University of California Davis isn’t far from the picturesque vineyards of the Napa Valley, so its academic programs that focus on viticulture and enology — the twin sciences of grape cultivation and winemaking — are no surprise. This cool major isn’t for the lazy, since it combines fundamental classes in chemistry, math, physics, biochemistry and microbiology with a biological curriculum that could include plant pathology, plant physiology, soil science, entomology and meteorology. UC Davis might not be the only university to offer this major, but with more than 100 years of related studies, this program has had plenty of time to age.
• University of Connecticut students can exercise their love for old-school animation with the university’s BFA in Puppet Arts. Courses encompass costuming, lighting, scenery, theatrical design, vocal skills, directing, and practical puppetry operation and production techniques. Seeking to maintain a high quality of instruction for its students, the school selects its applicants carefully — hopefuls must undergo an interview, perform an audition and submit a portfolio of past puppetry work as part of the application process.
• University of Delaware and its Three Languages program take the study of languages and literatures up a couple of notches by encouraging students to gain proficiency in (you guessed it) three languages over the course of one Bachelor of Arts degree. Students choose a first language, in which they need 24 credit hours, and then put 18 credits into a second and at least 6 credits into a third in order to fulfill the program requirements (as of May 2013). This taxing yet cool major is for verbal geniuses only — becoming conversational in just one foreign language is difficult enough for most people.
• University of Vermont faculty have taken it upon themselves to recognize the nation with whom the U.S. shares the world’s longest undefended border by offering an undergraduate minor in Canadian studies. It’s not a major yet, but the program includes components of economics, geography, history, political science, history, anthropology and literature and brings in faculty from diverse specialties within the university’s College of Arts and Sciences. Funded in part by U.S. and Canadian government interests, the program also sponsors academic and business conferences, public lectures and cultural events to help publicize the long and significant history between the two North American nations. And did we mention the chance for field trips across that border?

Of course, schools update their offerings regularly, and you might find different or even more atypical majors out there! If these 9 unusual programs don’t speak to you, never fear. There are dozens of other diverse college majors out there just begging to be found by the right individual. Between all the traditional and online degrees available today, the major for you has got to be out there somewhere.

The job market for healthcare has changed since 2016! These top online degree programs in healthcare present you with the best opportunities to make the most of your education.

While investing in any degree will likely have a big effect on your career trajectory, if you choose to major in health care, you may be looking at particularly high returns. That’s because many health care jobs are in high demand and will continue to be for some time, thanks to an aging population, longer life expectancies, and increased access to health services.

There are a wide range of careers available in the field, from assistant-level patient care to highly specialized areas that require advanced training. What’s great about choosing a health care major, however, is that you can always decide to build upon your knowledge and explore new career paths as you gain experience.

But the big question is: Which health care degrees lead to the best employment opportunities? OnlineDegrees.com recently published a list of the Most Employable Degrees of 2016, which compiled and analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Center for Educational Statistics in order to rank programs based on their potential return on investment. We evaluated each major on a number of cost-benefit factors, including:

• Number of jobs matched to the degree
• Average annual salary of all job matches
• Average projected job growth rate (2014-2024)
  
• Average concentration of jobs per 1,000
• Number of schools offering programs in the field
• Average in-state tuition for these programs

Below, we pulled out the health care degrees from that ranking to highlight which majors offer students the best employment potential. Based on our analysis, here are the top 20 health care degrees of 2016:

1. Public Health

If you’re more interested in health issues that affect an entire population versus one-on-one patient care, a public health degree could be a great choice for you. In this career, you’ll work on important tasks such as infectious disease prevention and control, public health education, community initiatives, and more.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $77,518
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 26%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 271
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $12,974

2. Nursing Practice

Becoming a registered nurse could be a smart career move, as there simply aren’t enough of them to fill available positions nationwide. Although you can become an RN with just an associate degree, RNs today often choose to pursue a bachelor’s degree before taking the national licensing exam, since many healthcare organizations prefer that credential. Nursing students take a combination of classroom lectures in the sciences, and practical clinical training.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $90,487
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 25%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 185
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $14,902

3. Family Practice Nursing

Very similar to a general nursing degree, a family practice nurse learns how to care for patients of all ages. These professionals typically work in health care clinics, physician’s offices, or hospitals.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $79,477
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 30%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 228
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $12,544

4. Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing

Yes, there’s another nursing degree on this list (we told you that they’re in high demand). This degree specializes in an area of nursing that deals with mental health. Coursework will have more of a psychiatric bent than the general nursing degree route.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $79,477
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 30%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 59
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $8,551

5. Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology

From working with an aging population likely to develop hearing issues, to working with young children who have hearing or speech developmental delays, this major will position you for a healthy career diagnosing and treating ear and speech problems.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $88,213
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 30%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 149
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $6,624

6. Medical Radiologic Technology/Science

Another important area of health care that is more on the diagnostic side of things is medical radiologic technology. This degree can help prepare you to become an ultrasound technician, use X-ray equipment, and/or focus on radiation therapy.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $84,723
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 27%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 346
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $9,694

7. Communication Sciences and Disorders

This pre-professional degree program is focused around the science of speech, hearing, and language. Like audiology and speech pathology, this field of study prepares students to treat people with speech delays, hearing problems, and other related issues.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $88,213
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 30%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 119
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $7,516

8. Dental Hygiene

If you’ve been for a dental checkup recently, you probably realized that you spend more time with the dental hygienist than the dentist. This fast-growing field is in need of new graduates as people’s dental care needs increase. Hygienists perform cleanings, take X-rays, and help educate patients on proper oral hygiene.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $92,460
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 35%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 366
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $9,647

9. Adult Health Nursing

Coming in as the fourth nursing degree in the top 10, adult health nurse programs focus primarily on treating and managing the care of adult patients. Learning about the many chronic health conditions that adults commonly develop is a major focus of these studies.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $79,477
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 30%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 96
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $16,471

10. Pharmacy

In keeping with the theme of an exploding health care market, pharmacists are needed now more than ever. As more and more medicines are developed and access to treatment improves, pharmacies and hospitals will be looking to grow their pharmacy staff.

• Average annual salary, 2014: $115,710
• Average projected job growth, 2014-24: 25%
• Number of schools offering programs in the field: 124
• Average tuition cost, 2014-15: $12,220

Here are 10 more majors that made our list of the best health care degrees for 2016:

11. Pediatric Nursing

12. Geriatric Nursing

13. Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nursing

14. Women’s Health Nursing

15. Physical Therapy

16. Speech-Language Pathology

17. Medical Informatics

18. Dental Assisting

19. Diagnostic Medical Sonography

20. Pharmacy Technician/Assistant