Is A Bachelors Degree Worth It

If you are thinking on these lines, then your reasoning is flawed. You want your bachelor’s degree to be worth it? Then you need to think about the academics of your interest. How well does a school address these interests? What will your job prospects be when you graduate?

What is the Starting Salary for a Bachelor’s Major?
When determining the worthiness of a bachelor’s degree, the major selection will potentially be the most crucial decision. This will end up deciding where and at what salary you start off in the job market. Take a look at the average starting salaries of class of 2012 graduates, by field of major:

Field of Major	Average Starting Salary
Engineering	$62,655
Computer Science	$59,221
Business	$53,900
Health Sciences	$49,196
Communications	$43,717
Math and Sciences	$42,471
Education	$40,668
Humanities	$36,988

*Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Engineering majors started off with the highest salary in the market in 2012, whereas humanities and social sciences graduates were over $25,000 behind them. To enter a field, you typically need a bachelor’s degree in that specific area. Some employers, however, are willing to accept students with college education in other areas than the one they are applying to work in.

Where Can You Work with a Bachelor’s Degree?
The worthiness of your degree is directly related to the job prospects it generates for you. At the end of the day, you should be most concerned with the sort of jobs a particular degree might get you along with the work environment and career growth, job titles, descriptions etc. Let’s take a look at the type of jobs different majors might open up for you.

Top 6 Business, Financial Operations and Sales Bachelor’s-level Occupations

Occupation	Projected Job Openings, 2010-2020	On-the Job Training	Work Experience
Accountants and Auditors	452,100	None	None
Management Analysts	274,300	None	1 to 5 years
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	191,800	None	None
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products	159,700	Moderate-term	None
Securities, commodities, and financial services agents	133,700	Moderate-term	None
Financial Analysts	104,200	None	None

 *Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
The highest number of job openings for business, financial operations and sales occupations is for accountants and auditors. People in these jobs usually prefer working with numbers, people or both. Their organizational and analytical abilities help in their decision making and planning in the corporate sector.

Top 6 Education, training, and library bachelor’s-level occupations

Occupation	Projected Job Openings, 2010-2020	On-the Job Training	Work Experience
Elementary school teachers, except special education	573,200	Internship/residency	None
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	355,600	Internship/residency	None
Middle school teachers, except special and career/technical education	249,300	Internship/residency	None
Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten and elementary school	113,300	Internship/residency	None
Kindergarten teachers, except special education	79,300	Internship/residency	None
Special education teachers, secondary school	51,100	Internship/residency	None

Education, training and library occupations are likely to have nearly 1.5 million jobs between 2010 and 2020. Individuals in these occupations tend to enjoy interacting with people, networking and instructing. They have good communication skills, critical thinking abilities, patience and creativity.

Top 6 Computer Science and Math bachelor’s-level Occupations

Occupation	Projected Job Openings, 2010-2020	On-the Job Training	Work Experience
Computer systems analysts	222,500	None	None
Software developers, application	197,900	None	None
Software developers, systems software	168,000	None	None
Network and computer systems administrators	155,300	None	None
Computer programmers	128,000	None	None
Information security analysts, web developers and computer network architects	110,300	None	1 to 5 years

Computer science and math bachelor’s level occupations will be about 1.1 million between 2010 and 2020. People who go for a major in this field are usually fond of analyzing and solving problems. Their technical ability and strong mathematical skills equip them with the skills necessary to perform well in their jobs.

Top 6 Arts, media and related bachelor’s – level Occupations

Occupation	Projected Job Openings, 2010-2020	On-the Job Training	Work Experience
Public relations specialists	127,200	Moderate-term	None
Graphic designers	123,800	None	None
Producers and directors	49,700	None	1 to 5 years
Writers and authors	47,600	Long-term	None
Interpreters and translators	40,300	Long-term	None
Editors	37,000	None	1 to 5 years

Art, media and related fields are typically considered to be creative and interactive. Jobs in this sector might require artistic or musical abilities along with good communication skills. It must be noted though, that people in this field tend to create their own unique career path, working for themselves. Writers, music designers and composers and authors are among occupations with a high percentage of self employment, as per BLS.

Top 6 Architecture and Engineering bachelor’s - level Occupations

Occupation	Projected Job Openings, 2010-2020	On-the Job Training	Work Experience
Civil Engineers	104,400	None	None
Mechanical Engineers	99,600	None	None
Industrial Engineers	57,500	None	None
Architects, except landscape and naval	50,900	Internship/residency	None
Electrical Engineers	47,800	None	None
Electronics engineers, except computer	40,600	None	None

People who pursue a career in the fields of architecture and engineering typically enjoy solving complex problems, math and analysis. Some occupations might require communication, project management, technical and creative skills as well. Job descriptions vary a great deal in this category, providing you with a variety of occupational requirements.

Top 6 Healthcare and community and social service bachelor’s-level occupations

Occupation	Projected Job Openings, 2010-2020	On-the Job Training	Work Experience
Child, family, and school social workers	128,300	None	None
Clergy	79,900	Moderate-term	None
Mental health and substance abuse social workers	69,400	None	None
Medical and clinical laboratory technologists	52,100	None	None
Directors, religious activities and education	44,500	None	1 to 5 years
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists	37,300	Short-term	None

These healthcare occupations along with others in the field add up to a total of 533,000 jobs, according to BLS 2010-2022 forecast. People who work in this profession are typically fond of helping each other out. Good communication and interpersonal skills are an added benefit for most occupations in this field and are a requirement of a few. Critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills also come in handy for people related to this field.

Top 6 Life, Physical, and social science bachelor’s-level occupations

Occupation	Projected Job Openings, 2010-2020	On-the Job Training	Work Experience
Environmental scientists and specialists, including health	43,200	None	None
Biological technicians	37,900	None	None
Chemists	29,900	None	None
Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers	17,100	None	None
Survey Researchers	9,900	None	None
Soil and plant scientists	8,600	None	None

Between 2010 and 2020, the above occupations, along with others in the field are expected to have about 193,000 job openings. Professionals in this area of study usually enjoy research and problem solving. They require good critical thinking skills and the ability to work well as part of a team. The aptitude for math and other technical subjects is generally considered an added benefit.

What Makes a College Degree Worth it for you?
The decision regarding the worth of a bachelor’s degree involves taking a number of factors into account. Projected job openings, entry level jobs, starting salaries, work-life earnings and work environment matter a lot, but these are not the only things that matter. A worthy bachelor’s degree should help you in developing yourself along with your career, incorporating your interests with the academics and giving you a lot more than just monetary return.

States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State	Employment	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage
California	1660	0.11	1.26	18.13	37720
Florida	1130	0.14	1.68	17.97	37370
Illinois	960	0.16	1.92	17.9	37240
Texas	760	0.07	0.78	16.62	34570
New York	650	0.07	0.85	20.12	41840

Source: bls.gov