"Degree not worth the money"

[TBCTT]

Yahoo quite frequently posts about "majors that are not worth the money," http://education.yahoo.net/articles/avoid_these_majors.htm?kid=1O1DO, and quite frequently majors that are included in this section are mentioned.  In this case for example, economics and government are brought up.  Is this list, in your opinoin, bogus, or is there reasoning to it?

[MPPgal]

This is not a major it is a masters degree, huge difference, but ceteris paribus if money is what you are looking for do not study an MPP go and get an MBA.

[Jufarius87]

I really think it depends on your financial and profesional goals. As was stated, we are getting professional degrees, public administration at the undergraduate level (unless you are at Princeton WWS) is probably too specialized. I don't understand at all why economics would make a least-lucrative list. Economics with some minor studies in math and finance is one of the best pre MBA/Management courses out there. Economics majors tend to do very well actually...

As far as personal motivation goes though, I'm from a sub 30k earning family, I live frugally, anything above 60k looks rediculous to me. If your goal is to get the highest financial return possible, MBAs are certainly better. But as long as my essentials are covered I am more concerned with job satisfaction, hence why I chose the MPP/A.

Just to be clear, the even if you do decide to put financial return first (perfectly understandable) the yahoo list is idiotic, economics as an undergraduate major has EXCELLENT financial return in the long run.

Edited January 16, 2014 by Jufarius87

[TimB]

Current unemployment rates for recent grads =/= long term outlook for various majors. Psych, for example, is overproduced at the undergrad level and social services are still being underfunded as the post-2007 recession depression drags on, however the long term outlook for mental health professionals is good.

 

Political science is set to grow slower than average according the the BLS and lots of Boomers and Gen Xer's have taken the high level spots in the field and will likely go longer than previous generations before retiring, so in that sense, at the top, it's a tough field. Still, there are plenty of jobs for MPPs outside analyst positions. 

[MPAallday]

This is not a major it is a masters degree, huge difference, but ceteris paribus if money is what you are looking for do not study an MPP go and get an MBA.

I completely agree. "Major" implies an undergraduate degree.

 

This reductionist view of education (focused solely on worshiping the almighty dollar) assumes money is the only thing that determines worth. This sort of mentality is exactly why our higher education system is so broken in the United States.

 

The list is bogus. It's not what you major in that matters the most, but rather how you apply what you majored in to the "real world". You can be very financially successful with a psychology degree and broke-as-a-joke with a business degree.

[foster3693]

Information for such articles only includes salaries of individuals who possess a BA but no additional schooling. If you possess a Poli Sci BA, but then pursue an MPA, you would not be included.

 

MPA's tend to be fairly profitable in the long run:

 

http://education.yahoo.net/articles/why_go_to_grad_school.htm (check out #4)