In Inside Higher Education,
Robert Matz takes Garrison Keillor to
task for his (apparently routine) put downs of English majors. As one
of the core liberal arts, the study of English is a sort of canary in
the mine for the health of liberal education. Leaving aside all other
considerations, Matz mentions some useful comparative numbers:
The truth, however, is that reports of the deadliness of English to a
successful career are greatly exaggerated. According to one major study
produced by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the
Workforce (see here),
the median income for English majors with a bachelor’s but no
additional degree is $48,000. This figure is just slightly lower than
that for bachelor’s degree holders in biology ($50,000), and slightly
higher than for those in molecular biology or physiology (both $45,000).
It’s the same for students who received their bachelor’s in public
policy or criminology (both $48,000), slightly lower than for those who
received their bachelor’s in criminal justice and fire protection
($50,000) and slightly higher than for those who received it in
psychology ($45,000).
Another study by the same center paints a similar picture with respect
to unemployment. In this study, the average unemployment rate for recent
B.A. holders (ages 22-26) over the years 2009-10 was 8.9 percent; for
English it was 9.2 percent. Both rates are higher than we would wish,
but their marginal difference is dwarfed by that between the average for
holders of the B.A. and that of high school graduates, whose
unemployment rate during the same period was 22.9 percent (also too
high).
The conclusion:
{T}here’s nothing reckless about majoring in English compared to many
other popular majors. Students who love business or engineering, or who
are good at them and simply want to earn the highest possible income,
make reasonable choices to pursue study in these fields. But students
who want to major in English and are good at it should not believe that
they are sacrificing a livelihood to pursue their loves.
