PORTLAND, Ore. — Education is an investment in the future, but not all investments have the returns.
Sorry, English majors but learning to fill cavities or design software has a more lucrative future than studying "The Canterbury Tales." Some of those jobs can even clear about $100,000 more starting out than a good grounding in the liberal arts, even from elite schools.
Recently released data on earnings by college grads who took out federal student loans to pay for their school bears this out. The data set looks at student borrowers from across the country and tracks what they studied, how much they paid for their education, how much they owe in student loans and how much they earn after college.
Looking at numbers for about 500 programs at all Oregon schools, we can see which programs put grads in the highest-paying jobs — and which ones have to pay back the most for their studies.
There is good news for students in health care, business, engineering and computer science programs. Graduates in these areas report six-figure incomes for some. English majors and others will have to wait for a future list of lower-paying college programs to see how they compare.
To see which programs at Oregon schools led to the highest pay for graduates, click through the slideshow link above.
Portland Business Journal is a KGW News partner.
