Skills and Majors: Examining Associations with Earnings

• In Event: College Success & Outcomes among Diverse and Emerging Populations

Abstract

Previous studies linking college majors and earnings have neglected to take into account individual skills. Using data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), we find that although majors create a ceiling and floor for earnings, cognitive skills determine where individuals are positioned within that range.

Authors

• Karly Ford, Pennsylvania State University

• Junghee Choi, Penn State University

• David Baker, Penn State University