Choosing a College Degree Can Impact Career Opportunities

The statistics are in and it's clear that the trend toward engineering degrees will continue in the next few years for those who want to bring in the big bucks. Engineering degrees, including chemical, mechanical, computer and civil engineering, all ranked near the top of the charts for earning potential in recent rankings of what college graduates could expect. That's good news for engineering students who want to graduate and enter the work force with expectations of starting out with a comfortable standard of living.

Engineers are also increasingly entering the upper levels of management after a few years in the trenches. Many companies are paying the tuitions of experienced engineers to enter MBA programs to produce managers and executives with valuable experience. The same goes for law school. More and more firms are interested in that unique combination of practical knowledge and legal skill that can protect their firm's assets and goals.

What was rather surprising, however, was that pharmaceutical degrees were ranked even higher for both salary expectations and need. So if you have a pharmaceutical degree, you're going to be in demand and paid accordingly, at least in the short term. This was something that was part of a general shift toward a greater demand in non-engineering sciences such as biology and nursing, which are seeing a rise in salaries, although they have far to go (with the obvious exception of pharmaceutical degrees) before they'll catch up with engineering. This is good news for college students who consider success in life to be a blend of making an honest living and having a satisfying work life. If you're altruistic enough that you don't need a top-drawer salary, nursing, psychology and research are coming on strong and will continue to do so as the general population ages in the coming years.

The only area where there isn't any real growth in salaries is in the Humanities or Social Sciences. Those students who graduate from college with an English or History degree need to focus on specializing somehow if they want a salary that's comfortable in today's economy. Otherwise, these rather general degrees will bring them salaries that are generally below the norm. That's not to say that these degrees aren't a good idea. How can college students turn their love of English or History into a thriving career option? Instead of getting a BA in their discipline alone, combine it with a teaching certificate. High school teachers who specialize in a particular discipline are in high demand. If they go on to get their Master's Degree they are even more desirable.

Interestingly, more and more Medical and Law schools are also looking at college graduates with degrees in the humanities. They see these students as more well rounded, articulate and "human" than some students who are entirely wrapped up in the sciences. If you have a degree in English or History and have toyed with the idea of law or medical school, don't assume those with scientific or criminal degrees have an edge. Today's schools are looking for the well-rounded student who is an independent thinker and who can write.

Keep in mind that everything goes in cycles. What may be the hot degree this year could be out of fashion in four year's time. In the end, your best bet is to find something you love doing and talk to a career counselor about how you can go about making a living with a college degree that lets you do just that.