“What Was College Made For?": Exploring College Students’ Civic Engagement Outcomes by College Major

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Roundtable 2

Abstract

In light of political discourse around return-on-investment (ROI) of obtaining four-year degrees, one often overlooked outcome of a college education is students’ development of their civic engagement. We were concerned whether specific degree programs targeted for elimination may enroll students with higher levels of civic engagement. We used the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) to examine differences across academic major categories in several measures of civic engagement. We found meaningful differences across majors with majors that are historically lower on ROI with higher levels of civic engagement. We discuss how the elimination of specific degree programs under political pressure may reduce progress towards a central aim of postsecondary institutions: To shape civically minded contributors to society.

Authors

• Carlton J. Fong, Texas State University

• Kristen P. Kremer, Kansas State University