Dive Brief:
- A study from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shows that 1993 college graduates with bachelor’s degrees in engineering, computer science, and engineering technologies had the highest earnings over the following 20 years.
- Class of 1993 graduates with bachelor’s degrees in education, English, and visual and performing arts had the lowest median earnings — about half that of the top three degree categories.
- Virginia schools awarded 30,866 bachelor’s degrees in 1993, and those graduates had a median wage that rose to $68,036 in 2013 from $31,543 in 1998.
Dive Insight:
The most recent wage data supporting the report's conclusions is from 2012. Those conclusions were that the level of degree affects lifetime earnings, but that the choice of occupation can play a bigger role. Also, within an occupation category, the level of degree will be the most important factor in earnings level. The three program areas with the most 1993 bachelor’s degrees from Virginia schools were business and management, social sciences, and English.