Sign in
Become a MarketWatch member today
Jennifer Openshaw
May 3, 2011, 12:01 a.m. EDT
By Jennifer Openshaw
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) "” As the cost of a college education skyrockets, some parents may be wondering about the value of going to college "” especially with the examples of billionaire Harvard drop-outs Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg front and center.
Getting kids into college has become the equivalent of an arms race with wealthy parents willing to do whatever it takes at any price. Kelsey Hubbard talks with suburban mother of college-bound kids and author, Jennifer Moses.
The price tag for four years at a public university averages about $35,000, according to The College Board. A private college or university can cost about $120,000. So what's the best return on investment, especially if a student is taking out loans to help finance college? Part of the answer lies in selecting a major that offers the opportunity to quickly move into a career with a good salary.
According to the annual salary survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the average salary offer to all class of 2011 graduates now stands at $50,462, up 5.9 percent over the overall average of $47,673 to class of 2010 graduates.
And among those graduates, the ones most likely to see the biggest salary opportunities are those with engineering majors. The bachelor degree graduates likely to receive the most job offers? Accounting positions, whether in the public or private sectors, make up two of the top three spots on that list.
Source: NACE
Source: NACE
Going to college isn't only about making money. Students who want to help others, be a teacher or go into the performing arts may not be headed toward a six-figure salary. The worst performing major, according to PayScale, is elementary education, with a median starting salary of $33,000. Social work has a median starting salary of $33,400. The best of the bottom 10 college degrees is horticulture, with a median starting salary of $37,200. Drama and music typically have median starting salaries of $35,600 and $34,000, respectively.
The chances of making it big in the performing arts are very small, but that doesn't mean students shouldn't pursue a career in that area as long as "you know what you're up against," says Iqbal Theba, who plays Principal Figgins on the Fox television series Glee.
Fox is a unit of News Corp. /quotes/comstock/15*!nwsa/quotes/nls/nwsa NWSA -1.71% /quotes/comstock/15*!nws/quotes/nls/nws NWS -1.22% , which also owns MarketWatch, the publisher of this report.
"As I saw my friends in acting struggling, I asked myself: What if I'm having dinner at Taco Bell at 75 and that's all I can afford? Will I have lived the way I wanted to live? The answer is, "?yes.'"
But the key, he adds, "is knowing your alternatives and options." Theba's original college major? Engineering.
Jennifer Openshaw is CEO of SuperFutures. A nationally known commentator and author of "The Millionaire Zone," she is also founder of Family Financial Network. Email her jopenshaw@superfutures.com or Twitter @superfutures.
"$PFE reported modestly higher first-quarter earnings due in part to a lower #tax rate http://bit.ly/j2XdGH" 1:12 p.m. EDT, May 3, 2011 from MarketWatch
"The U.S. #markets have started May on a sluggish note following last month's technical breakout. http://bit.ly/mByQdf" 12:22 p.m. EDT, May 3, 2011 from MarketWatch
"Dozens of 'erroneous' after-hours trades canceled http://on.mktw.net/lB85XT" 12:00 p.m. EDT, May 3, 2011 from MarketWatch
"10 rules for rookie day traders http://bit.ly/lXuQ7U" 11:48 a.m. EDT, May 3, 2011 from MarketWatch
"Ford domestic sales up more than16% in April http://on.mktw.net/mxmNsu" 11:23 a.m. EDT, May 3, 2011 from MarketWatch
Media Web
Bin Laden's death sparks ABC's Ross
Ways and Means
New rule protects Social Security benefits
Money and Power
Where are the jobs, Mr. Politician?
The Technical Indicator
Seasonal headwinds vie with strong charts
Behavioral Economics
Super Rich love to bet on commodity inflation
On Personal Finance
What's a college education worth?
What Wall Street Won't Tell You
We still haven't paid for the "?war on terror'
Tech Tales
RIM should get rid of its co-CEO structure
Writing on the Wall
Buffett and bin Laden, a lesson in patience
Read Full Article »