Major ROI

In yesterday’s edition of Bubba News, we explored the growing U.S. educational divide. Today, we’re shifting our focus to a brand-new report showcasing the college majors that yield the best financial returns. (American Enterprise Institute)

A new AEIdeas analysis: Whether you're attending a liberal arts institution or a standard university, the return on your investment can vary dramatically depending on the major you pick.

Zoom out: According to a Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity report from May, “bachelor’s degree programs have a median ROI of $160,000, but the payoff varies by field of study.”

Majors with the top ROI:

• Engineering: $949,000 median ROI

• Computer Science: $652,000 median ROI

• Nursing: $619,000 median ROI

• Economics: $549,000 median ROI

Low ROI majors:

• Fine Arts: Often leaves students financially worse off with a median ROI of -$88,000.

• Other low ROI majors: Education ($12,000 ROI), English ($53,000 ROI) and Social work ($62,000 ROI).

It’s not just money: American society is becoming stratified by education, with a widening life expectancy gap opening up between those who have degrees and those who don’t.