The Post-College Fortunes of Humanities Graduates

• In Event: 4451 - Section on Sociology of Education Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 min): Table 19: Higher Education: Unequal Outcomes

Abstract

Using recent data from the 2015 and 2017 National Survey of College Graduates (N=259,000), we examine several post-college outcomes for bachelor’s graduates in the humanities, compared with other majors. Humanities graduates fare worse in terms of family formation, employment, and post-college earnings, despite on average coming from more privileged family backgrounds, having stronger academic preparation in high school, and carrying less student debt. We discuss these findings in the light of the theory of ‘risky majors,’ examining whether graduate and professional degrees mitigate these disadvantages. We also provide direct comparisons to arts and education majors, who share many of these difficulties.

Authors

• Christopher Maggio, London School of Economics

• Frederick T. Tucker

• Paul A. Attewell, City University of New York, Graduate Center