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Analyzes how earnings change over time, how participation in STEM, healthcare, and business relates to pay and graduate mobility, and how unemployment among recent graduates raises concerns about four-year degree value. 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You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests that the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce endorses you or your use.  \nNoncommercial—You may not use the material for commercial  purposes.  \nShareAlike—If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original.  \nNo additional restrictions—You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.  \nThis summary is not a substitute for the full legal text of the license. To view the full legal text, visit [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) .  \nOur suggested citation for this material is:  \nSource: Morris, Catherine, Ban Cheah, and Jeff Strohl. The Major Payoff: Evaluating Earnings and Employment Outcomes Across Bachelor’s Degrees. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2025. [https://cew.georgetown.edu/major-payoff](https://cew.georgetown.edu/major-payoff)  \nPlease email [cewgeorgetown@georgetown.edu](cewgeorgetown@georgetown.edu) with any questions or to share your adaptations of this material.  \nTHE  MAJOR PAYOFF  \nEvaluating Earnings and Employment Outcomes Across Bachelor’s Degrees  \nCatherine Morris Ban Cheah Jeff Strohl  \n2025  \n2025  \nACKNOWLEDGMENTS  \nWe are grateful to the individuals and organizations whose generous support has made this report possible: Lumina Foundation (Jamie Merisotis, Courtney Brown, and Chris Mullin) and the Gates Foundation (Patrick Methvin and Jamey Rorison) . We are honored to be their partners in our shared mission of promoting postsecondary access, completion, and career success for all Americans.  \nWe would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to Anthony P. Carnevale, the founding director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, for his leadership and guidance in this work.  \nThe staff of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce was instrumental in the production of this report from conception to publication. In particular, we would like to thank  \n◈ Artem Gulish, Zachary Mabel, Emma Nyhof McLeod, and Nicole Smith for methodological advice and quantitative feedback;  \n◈ Kathryn Peltier Campbell and Martin Van Der Werf for editorial and qualitative feedback; and  \n◈ Katherine Hazelrigg, Fan Zhang, Johnna Guillerman, and Maryam Noor for communications efforts, including design development and public relations.  \nMany others contributed their thoughts and feedback throughout the production of this report. We especially are grateful to our talented designersand editorial advisors, whose efforts were vital to its successful completion.  \nThe views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Lumina Foundation or the Gates Foundation or any of their officers or employees. All errors and omissions are the responsibility of the authors.  \nCONTENTS  \nIntroduction8  \nPart 1. STEM, Healthcare, and Business Majors Have the Highest Earnings After  \nGraduation, with Considerable Variation by Field of Study. 12  \nEarnings are lower for recent graduates but grow over time. 18  \nPart 2. More Students Are Opting for Degrees in STEM and Moving Away from Lower-Paying Fields Such as Humanities and the Arts.21  \nPart 3. Wh","cbCait4YB6oQLBWr","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCait4YB6oQLBWr","pdf",6269943,74,"English","# Introduction\n## Part 1. STEM, Healthcare, and Business Majors Have the Highest Earnings After Graduation, with Considerable Variation by Field of Study\n## Part 2. More Students Are Opting for Degrees in STEM and Moving Away from Lower-Paying Fields Such as Humanities and the Arts\n## Part 3. While Graduate Degrees Offer an Earnings Premium, the Returns Vary by Field, Detailed Field, and Major\n## Part 4. Unemployment Among Recent College Graduates Is Adding to New Concerns About the Value of a Four-Year Degree\n## Part 5. Participation in Lucrative Undergraduate Fields Does Not Reflect the Nation’s Diversity\n# Conclusion\n# References\n# Appendix A. Data Sources and Methodology\n# Appendix B. Bachelor’s-to-High School and Graduate-to-High School Earnings Premiums\n# Appendix C. Change in Degree Production\n# Appendix D. Racial/Ethnic and Gender Composition of the Workforce, by Field of Study","[{\"question\":\"Which bachelor’s degree fields show the highest earnings after graduation?\",\"answer\":\"STEM, healthcare, and business majors are reported as having the highest earnings after graduation, with variation by field of study.\"},{\"question\":\"How do earnings and unemployment relate for recent college graduates?\",\"answer\":\"The content notes that earnings are lower for recent graduates but grow over time, and that earnings and unemployment are not always related.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the report say about diversity in participation across lucrative undergraduate fields?\",\"answer\":\"It states that participation in lucrative undergraduate fields does not reflect the nation’s diversity, including gender and racial/ethnic overrepresentation patterns by field.\"}]","The Major Payoff - Evaluating Earnings and Employment Outcomes Across Bachelor’s Degrees | PDF",1792053794,186]