Vol. 25 No. 10            June 2011

"What’s it Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors," by Anthony Carnevale, was released late May and indicates that some majors are much more valuable than others. In fact, the spread can be more than 300 percent. For example, after taking into account the cost of college and lost earnings, the lifetime advantage of a college degree over a non-degree for engineering majors is $1,090,000. But for an education major, it is only $241,000. What majors lead to the highest earnings? Think engineering.

Top 10 Earners. The top 10 majors with the highest median annual earnings are: petroleum engineer, $120,000; pharmacy/pharmaceutical sciences and administration, $105,000; mathematics and computer sciences, $98,000; aerospace engineering, $87,000; chemical engineering, $86,000; electrical engineering, $85,000; naval and marine engineering, $82,000; mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering and mining and mineral engineering, each $80,000.

Bottom 10 Earners. The 10 majors with the lowest median annual earnings are: counseling/psychology, $29,000; early childhood education, $36,000; theology and religious vocations, $38,000; human services and community organizations, $38,000; social work, $39,000; drama and theater arts, communications disorders sciences and services, visual and performing arts, and health and medical preparatory programs, each $40,000.

Liberal Arts/Humanities. Liberal arts and humanities students rank in the middle, with a median annual income of $47,000. But the report added that 40 percent of these graduates go on to earn graduate degrees, "reaping a return of almost 50 percent." Additionally, liberal arts and humanities majors often end up in professional, white-collar and education occupations.

Highest Unemployment. Students with degrees in social psychology have a 16 percent unemployment rate, nuclear engineering, 11 percent; and educational administration and supervision, 11 percent.

Inequities. And overall, men are concentrated in the highest-earning majors, while women are concentrated in the lowest-earning majors. Race also matters. The report says that even in the highest paying major—electrical engineering—African Americans earn $22,000 less than whites, and $12,000 less than Asians.

The entire report is available online at: http://cew.georgetown.edu/whatsitworth.

Is a Degree "Worth It?"
Meanwhile, the high cost of college and the difficulty of graduates finding a job in a tough economy have re-sparked the debate of whether going to college is really "worth it." Results of a recent national study conducted for the American Council on Education concludes that graduates themselves believe it is. In fact, 89 percent of "young alumni found their education worth the time and money spent." And 80 percent of those surveyed, particularly those at four-year institutions, said that they would attend the same college or university. Despite the continuing escalation of college costs, 76 percent of participants said their institution charged a fair price for their education..

100 Top Values
Many people turn to Consumers Digest when shopping for a bargain. Now editors at the 50-year-old publication have ranked the "Top 100 College Values" in its June 2011 issue based on tuition, fees, room and board. The average annual cost at CD’s top private colleges and universities, $47,156; for public four-year institutions, $26,344.

The top five public colleges and universities in terms of value are: Truman State U. in Missouri, U. of Minnesota-Morris, State U. of New York (SUNY) Geneseo, Appalachian State U. in North Carolina and California Polytechnic State U.

The top five private colleges and universities are: Yale U., Princeton U., Rice U. in Texas, Harvard U. and the U. of Pennsylvania. These elite schools won these spots based upon their generous financial aid programs.

And the top five private liberal arts colleges are: Grove City C. in Pennsylvania, Williams C. in Massachusetts, Pomona C. in California, Amherst C. in Massachusetts and Claremont McKenna C. in California.

Hottest Careers
What are the hottest careers for recent college graduates in terms of a job, period? According to a new career path study from the U. of California San Diego Extension, they are, in order: healthcare case managements, financial examination and internal auditing, mobile media, healthcare info technology, data mining, geriatric healthcare, occupational health and safety, Spanish/English translation and interpretation, sustainable business practices and teaching English as a foreign language. To view the entire list, go to: http://extension.ucsd.edu/specialreports.

Enrollment Trends
WHILE THE WORLD continues to try to make sense of wait lists and last-minute applications, there was other news this spring that will impact admissions next fall.

Tougher Louisiana Standards. Beginning in 2012, students seeking admission to four-year public universities in Louisiana will have to meet higher test and high school grade standards. According to The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, 15 percent of students statewide who matriculated in 2009 would not gain admission in 2012, including 7.3 percent at Louisiana State U. The paper said the biggest statewide impact will be felt by minority students. About 35 percent of black college freshmen in 2009 would not meet the new standards in 2012. Instead, most of these students will need to attend two-year community colleges to bolster their skills before transferring into the four-year state schools. It is hoped that tougher standards at the college level will translate into greater emphasis on skill readiness at the high school level.

Top Oregon Students Will Get In. Beginning this fall, high schools students who demonstrate proficiency in math, reading and writing and have a 3.4 GPA and a top score on the SAT or ACT will get automatic admissions to an Oregon university. "As a research institution, we look for students who are ready to hit the ground running for college, and so students that meet the automatic admissions requirements have a better chance of succeeding at a place like Oregon State," said Blake Vawter, OSU association director of admissions.

In-State Tuition for Undocumented Students. Connecticut passed legislation end of May that permits undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities in the state. To qualify, an undocumented immigrant would have to have attended a Connecticut high school for four years and graduate. The student would also need to sign an affidavit promising to seek legal status. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said, "This bill isn’t controversial, it’s common sense."

Dual Admissions. Temple U. and Reading Area C.C. are launching a dual admissions program that will allow RACC students who earn an associates degree to transfer to Temple. And students who earn good grades at RACC will qualify for scholarships. RACC has similar agreements with Albright C., Alvernia U., Immaculata U. and Widener U.

Last year, Syracuse U. signed an agreement with Onondaga C.C. to guarantee its graduates entrance as juniors to SU, if their grades meet standards. SU is also giving financial aid counseling to OCC freshmen to help them start planning for their transfer. SU signed a similar agreement with Georgia Perimeter C. near Atlanta. Now SU has obtained a $400,000 grant to help low-income students from community colleges across New York make an easier transition, including financial aid counseling.

Globalizing Campuses. Finally, U.S. colleges and universities have stepped up efforts to recruit international students and globalize campuses. The number of international students studying in the U.S. increased 2.9 percent between 2009 and 2010 to 690,923. A recent article in thetimesnews.com focused on Elon U. in North Carolina, where international students hail from 49 nations and account for 3 percent of the student body. The number has grown 224 percent since 1997-98.

"The international students are contributing a tremendous amount of knowledge and skills to the system," one student from Afghanistan told the paper. "They do this in formal ways through research, in class and in organizations, and informally as promoting awareness, having discussions in dining halls, parties and the library."

"Un Nuevo Dia." The Latino population in the U.S. increased by 43 percent in the last decade and the Spring issue of Focus from the Lumina Foundation describes how this demographic shift is impacting colleges. Featured are colleges in Georgia, Texas and California. See, www.luminafoundation.org.

THE COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Colleges Rev Up Offerings in the STEM Fields
NOT EVERYONE had a brand new science center such as the new 150,000-square-foot, five-story building at the U. of Scranton, complete with a telescope and a greenhouse on the roof. But many colleges throughout the country are creating new programs in science, technology, engineering and math to attract new students and improve their offerings.

The U. of Scranton Center. The new $83 million facility at the U. of Scranton will open in the fall and provide faculty space, research facilities and classes for undergraduates. It will show science as a human endeavor and promote science learning in the real-world. Students will participate in an interdisciplinary program in physics, math, computer science, biology and chemistry. But the center will also physically connect to the departments of theology, philosophy and history. All U. of Scranton undergraduates must take two sciences.

DePaul’s New College. The trustees at DePaul U. in Chicago have authorized formation of a new College of Science and Health, effective this July. The former College of Liberal Arts, which included science, has become the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. The new College of Science and Health will offer an enhanced curriculum in natural and behavioral sciences, mathematics and health science education. DePaul recently opened a new multi-million dollar science building and is erecting a new academic center on its Lincoln Park Campus.

UW-Madison Makes the Environment a Degree. For the first time, UW-Madison undergraduates can pursue a degree in environmental studies or sciences. The environmental studies major can be taken along side another major. The environmental science majors will stand alone. "This is an historic event," said Gregg Mitman, interim director of the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, "coming at a time when issues of energy, climate, water, food, and health are defining problems of the 21st century."

New Veterinary Technology Degree in NY. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment outlook for veterinary care is expected to grow over the next decade. So SUNY Canton became one of 20 schools in the country to offer a Bachelor’s of Science in Veterinary Technology beginning this fall. Only three schools in New York State offer such a program. The four-year degree runs parallel to SUNY’s two-year degree and will fulfill courses required for most veterinary colleges.

New Programs Lead to More Apps at WPI. Biomedical engineering, robotics engineering, interactive media and game design, and environmental engineering have had double digit increases in enrollments. That, in turn, stimulated applications this year to Worcester Polytechnic Institute. WPI received more than 7,000 applications for its class of 2015, reflecting student interests in these areas, the school said. Since 2005, WPI has invested more than $100 million in life sciences education, research and facilities.

Robotics Engineering. The U. of California, Santa Cruz, is offering a new major in robotics engineering. The interdisciplinary study combines electrical, computer and mechanical engineering. The B.S. in Robotics Engineering is the first of its kind in the U.C. system. "As technology continues to bring cyber and physical worlds together, the demand for robotics engineers will continue to increase…," said J.J. Garcia-Luna-Aceves, chair of computer engineering at the UCSC. "The students definitely wanted this degree. It’s very well suited for undergraduates," added another professor.

Polytechnic Institute of NYU. Applications to Polytechnic Institute of NYU, located in Brooklyn, jumped by 26 percent this year. The nation’s second oldest engineering school expects a first-year class of 560. Recently, Forbes magazine ranked NYU-Poly among the top 10 "Colleges That Will Make You Rich," based on salaries of graduates. Forbes also identified it among the "Best Colleges for Women in STEM." About 42 percent of its students received Pell Grants.

Tops in Environmental Sciences. What are the top world universities for Environmental Sciences? According to one recent survey, they are: Cambridge in the United Kingdom; Harvard; ETH Zurich in Switzerland; U. of Tokyo; Australian National U.; Universite Grenoble, Joseph Fourier in France; U. of British Columbia in Canada; National U. of Singapore; Peking U. in China; Seoul National U. in South Korea; U. of Hong Kong; U. of Auckland in New Zealand; Lund U. in Sweden; and Wageningen U. in the Netherlands.

To view the entire list, go to: http://www.topuniversities.com.

Other New Curriculum Capsules
Bowling Green Upgrade. Bowling Green U. in Ohio is expanding general education course options and introducing a Learning Commons for first-year students. According to the interim vice provost for academic programs, Timothy Messer-Kruse, the new inquiry sequence of classes will "help students both understand the nature of academic inquiry and sharpen their critical thinking skills."

New Center for Global Ed. Claremont McKenna C. has reorganized the way it administers study-abroad programs, its Washington Program and new initiatives. Part of the goal is to keep in touch with students once they return from an off-campus program. Another is to expand programs such as a a pilot program in Jordan with Arabic language instruction, a five-week program in South Korea focused on global economic challenges and an internships program in the Silicon Valley, possibly beginning fall of 2012.

Western Civilization Vanishing. Western Civilization courses, once a staple of the college core curriculum, are vanishing from undergraduate studies. According to a new report by the National Association of Scholars entitled, "The Vanishing West 1964-2010," the course which was the cornerstone of liberal learning in 1964 is now required nowhere and available in but one third of U.S. colleges and universities. The report found a similar decline in the teaching of American history, particularly American history survey courses. But at the same time, the teaching of world history is on the rise.

As a result, many who will "eventually assume positions of opinion leadership in our society…are no longer learning about their civilization’s great story, its triumphs, its vicissitudes, and its singular role in transforming the human condition," the report noted, adding, the problem "invites a new dialogue on how best to resume the work of teaching a rounded overview of our civilization…"

To read the entire report, go to: http://www.nas.org/polimage.cfm?doc_Id=1983&size_code=Doc

National Enrollment Up
"The Condition of Education 2011," a new congressionally-mandated report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), found a "shift in postsecondary education" to private for-profit postsecondary institutions. In 2000, these schools accounted for only 3 percent of undergraduate enrollment. But over the past decade, they have added 1.2 million students and now account for 9 percent of all undergraduates.

The report also found that from 2000 to 2009, total undergraduate enrollment rose from 13 million to 18 million students. Also, 30 percent of all full-time students age 35 and older attend the private four-year for-profit institutions. In 2008-09, 49 percent of first-time, full-time students at degree-granting institutions had a student loan, with an average annual loan amount of $7,000. Also, between 1998-99 and 2008-09, 41 percent more associate’s degrees were awarded, and 33 percent more bachelor’s degrees.

On the secondary level, the report noted that in 2008-09, 5 percent of all public schools were charter schools. And in 2008, 75 percent of public school students graduated on time.

You can view the entire report at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe.

SUMMER READING
College Rules! How to Study, Survive, and Succeed in College, 3rd edition, Sherrie Nist-Olejnik and Jodi Patrick Holschuh; Ten Speed Press; ISBN: 978-1-60774-001-8; $14.99; www.tenspeed.com.

Panicked Student’s Guide to Choosing a College Major, Laurence Shatkin; JIST Publishing; ISBN: 978-1-59357-844-0; $14.95; www.jist.com.

Grammar Girl’s 101 Words Every High School Graduate Needs to Know, Mignon Fogarty; St. Martin’s Griffin; ISBN: 978-0-312-57345-4; $5.99; www.stmartins.com.

How to Pay for College: A Library How-To Handbook; Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., ISBN: 10-1-61608-155-4; $14.95; www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

Making College Count. Motivational speaker Patrick O’Brien released the second edition of his book on making a plan to succeed in college; ISBN: 978-0-615-39440-4; $14.95; www.makecollegecount.com.

The College Fear Factor by Rebecca D. Cox examines community colleges and what strategies lead to academic success; ISBN: 978-0-674-06016-6; $16.95; Harvard University Press; www.hup.harvard.edu.

ACT App. Students can now use their iPhone, iPad or iPod to prepare for the ACT. The "ACTStudent" app enables students to practice ACT questions, view their registration and scores and other test info. See, www.act.org.

Colleges at a Glance by Maureen Baldwin is billed as a guide book for average students; ISBN: 978-1460930113; $14.95; www.amazon.com.

SCHOLARSHIP SCOOPS
Scholarship for Pell Students. Beginning this fall, the John Carroll Access Initiative, which formerly gave additional financial and academic aid to qualified, low-income students from Ohio who were admitted to John Carroll U., will be extended to all new John Carroll students from all states who receive Pell Grants. Before 2005, when the scholarship program began, JCU’s freshman-to-sophomore retention for lower income, first-generation students was 74 percent. Since the program began, that rate has climbed to 93 percent, only 2 percent behind non-Pell students. John Carroll U. is one of the nation’s 28 Jesuit colleges and universities.

New Indiana Scholarship. The Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship, named after the current Republican governor who pushed the idea, will give a $4,000 college scholarship for any Indiana college, trade school or post-secondary program, to Indiana students who finish high school in three years. Democratic opponents had argued that students are better off getting free college credit through Advanced Placement and dual-credit courses while still in high school.

Help in Return. Daytona State C. in Florida has launched a scholarship to help lure back students who had completed at least 45 credits but failed to finish their degrees. A letter announcing the "Come Back to Daytona State Scholarship" went out to more than 5,500 students who had left school since 2003. The offer is to shave 25 percent off of their tuition.

New Scholarship for Students with ADHD. Over 50 percent of college students with attention deficit disorders drop out, according to the Edge Foundation which recently announced it was forming a partnership with Shire to offer scholarships and coaching for high school seniors with ADHD heading to college in fall 2011. The program will award 25 scholarships of $2,000 each and a full year of coaching services. Deadline: July 7. See, www.ShireADHDScholarship.com.

Admissions Watch
Meanwhile, colleges and universities were tallying their acceptances, yields and expected sizes of their freshman classes.

Dartmouth’s Yield. This spring, Dartmouth offered admission to 2,179 students. And 1,114 of those accepted the offer to join its Class of 2015, for a yield of 52 percent. Dartmouth also placed 1,800 students on its wait list, and 1,100 opted to take up that offer. Some 50 of them were moved off of the list and will join the fall class. About 35 percent of the new class is made up of students of color and 7 percent are international students. And 25 transfer students will enroll as sophomores.

"We have some students who will change their minds, decide to take a year off or get off the wait list of another school," Maria Laskaris, dean of admissions and financial aid, told The Dartmouth. "It’s still a work in progress."

Harvard’s Yield. Harvard C. posted a 77 percent yield for the Class of 2015, up from 75.5 percent last year, according to the Harvard Crimson. William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid told the paper that he anticipates admitting 10 to 15 students from the wait list this year, compared to the usual 50 to 125.

U.C. Davis. The U. of California Davis tallied its admit numbers and reported that it accepted 21,074 of the 45,825 students who applied this year, or 46 percent. California students accounted for nearly 87 percent of the admits. Nearly 7 percent of the students were from out-of-state (more than in previous years) and 7 percent were international students. UCD also placed about 5,900 students on its wait list. (More than 2,200 chose to stay on the list.) Last year, it took 600 students from its wait list. In the fall, some 4,704 students are expected to enroll.

Larger Freshman Class in Vermont. The U. of Vermont received 22,300 applications this year and is expecting a freshman class of 2,500, 250 more than last year, according to vtdigger.org, which noted that about 40 percent of Vermonters who apply decide to enroll. By charter, tuition is 40 percent lower for in-state students. Tuition for 2011 is $23,418 for in-state students and $41,982 for out-of-state students.

Whitman Sees Slight Decline. Whitman C. in Washington state attracted 3 percent fewer applicants for the class of 2015, according to the Whitman Pioneer. Dean of Admissions Tony Cabasco told the paper that between 3,200 and 3,250 applications had been received before the school’s January 15th deadline.

Last year, Whitman fielded 3,300 applications, admitted 1,550 and enrolled 440 students last fall, for its largest ever first-year class. "This year we want to admit around 1,500 to 1,600 students in order to hit about 405 enrolled," he said. "We have to balance out the large class size from year to year." This year, Whitman received 144 Early Decision applications, and admitted 96.

back to top]

NEWS YOU CAN USE
Default Rate Increases. The national student loan default rate for borrows in the Federal Family Education Loan and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan programs rose to 8.9 percent in 2009, up from 7 percent in 2007. At public four-year institutions it rose from 4.3 percent in 2007 to 4.7 percent in 2009. For private four-year schools, it increased from 3.6 percent to 4.6 percent and for proprietary 2-3 year schools it soared from 12.5 percent in 2007 to 15 percent.

High School Transcript Study. "America’s High School Graduates," the 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) High School Transcript Study, offered several interesting conclusions. From an analysis of 37,000 high school transcripts, NAEP researchers confirmed that the more challenging the coursework the better the test scores in higher math and science on the 12th grade NAEP assessment. It found that "science, in particular, was the missing link for many students who fell short of a rigorous curriculum."

Pets In… School. Well, not quite. But Eckerd C. in Florida is making it easier for students who don’t want to leave their beloved pet at home when they go off to school. Instead, Eckerd has a policy of welcoming fury four-legged creatures to student housing. In 2010, for example, 35 cats, rabbits, ferrets and dogs were registered and living on campus. One year a student brought two ducks with her to campus. "It’s a positive," said John Sullivan, dean of admissions and financial aid, "because our students travel an average of 950 miles to come to Eckard. For these students, bringing their pets makes the transition a bit easier."

[back to top]

COLLEGE BOUND's Publisher/Editor: R. Craig Sautter, DePaul University; Chief Operating Officer: Sally Reed; Assistant Editor: Emma Schwartz; Illustration: Louis Coronel; Board of Advisors: Lisa Burnham, Edina High School, Minnesota; Claire D. Friedlander, Bedford (N.Y.) Central School District; Howard Greene and Matthew Greene, authors, The Greenes' Guides to Educational Planning Series; Frank C. Leana, Ph.D., educational counselor; M. Fredric Volkmann, Washington University in St. Louis; Mary Ann Willis, Bayside Academy (Daphne, Ala.).

In This Issue

Feature Articles
  - How Much Is a Major Worth?  

  - Enrollment Trends

  - Colleges Rev Up Offerings

Summer Reading

Scholarship Scoops

Admissions Watch

News You Can Use

Download This Month's CB in PDF Format

NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS:
To keep up with the exploding field of online education, COLLEGE BOUND started a new site, www.onlineUnews.com. You'll find regular posts on the latest news in the online learning field, with links that will take you to the source of each story.

P.S. To renew your subscription go to
Renew Subscription
or call 773-262-5810.