The advantage for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) majors fades steadily after their first jobs, and by age 40 the earnings of people who majored in fields like social science or history have caught up. Skill obsolescence and increased competition from younger graduates work together to lower the earnings advantage for STEM degree-holders as they age. Men majoring in computer science or engineering roughly doubled their starting salaries by age 40, to an average of $124,458. Yet earnings growth is even faster in other majors. By age 40, the average salary of all male social science and history majors earned $131,154

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/business/liberal-arts-stem-salaries.html

FWIW, Keep in mind that the Ivies+ account for less than 1/2 of 1% of all college graduates. Their over representation at the top of any field is easily more than 20x.

College choice.

Major choice matters, but there are many ways that you can mold and shift what you do with that major after graduation, and what you do after definitely matters more. Going to grad school/getting your PhD in a specialty of the major or in a similar field, for example, will matter more in future employment than your undergrad major. If you go to law school or med school, clearly that matters more - heck, you can major in studio art and go to med school! The first jobs and initial networking that you do after college will also matter more for future employment down the line. Basically, in all these examples, the college you went to will probably have more weight than your major.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both. The college needs to offer a decent program in the major. No one wants wants to hire an engineer from a general LAC, for example. And some majors are extremely specific and only a few schools have a specialized program for it.

But if you are just talking general majors (science, business, history, etc.) then the college matters more than specific major. Companies want people who know how to think, and will train in the specifics of a job.

Yes, those poor Swarthmore grads are struggling.

Actually many liberal arts grads end up making peanuts teaching at private schools because they can't get jobs anywhere else.

Help us with a citation on that. Unless you just made it up, which of course you did.

What's your definition of success, OP?

Major is most important but make sure DC can get through the program. Many schools have limited enrollment programs to matriculate to a major and that can be hard. JMU is a prime example of a school I would research a lot before enrolling because it is hard to change a major there.

Major for sure. Art History from Harvard or Yale vs Engineering from anywhere???? Of course it's the major and what a student does with it. Or maybe it's internship opportunities and career centers. Either way look at your neighbors what schools or no college did they go to? Mine, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, UMD, Salisbury, York Univerisity, UFL, Towson, and none at all yet we all live in the same place?????

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both. The college needs to offer a decent program in the major. No one wants wants to hire an engineer from a general LAC, for example. And some majors are extremely specific and only a few schools have a specialized program for it.

But if you are just talking general majors (science, business, history, etc.) then the college matters more than specific major. Companies want people who know how to think, and will train in the specifics of a job.

Yes, those poor Swarthmore grads are struggling.

Actually many liberal arts grads end up making peanuts teaching at private schools because they can't get jobs anywhere else.

This is not true for Swatties, but any measure.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both. The college needs to offer a decent program in the major. No one wants wants to hire an engineer from a general LAC, for example. And some majors are extremely specific and only a few schools have a specialized program for it.

But if you are just talking general majors (science, business, history, etc.) then the college matters more than specific major. Companies want people who know how to think, and will train in the specifics of a job.

Yes, those poor Swarthmore grads are struggling.

Actually many liberal arts grads end up making peanuts teaching at private schools because they can't get jobs anywhere else.

Ah, so you don't know about Swarthmore....

But, to return to OP, prestige of college is more important than major. Students often change their majors, and the options are stronger all around at a top tier college or university.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both. The college needs to offer a decent program in the major. No one wants wants to hire an engineer from a general LAC, for example. And some majors are extremely specific and only a few schools have a specialized program for it.

But if you are just talking general majors (science, business, history, etc.) then the college matters more than specific major. Companies want people who know how to think, and will train in the specifics of a job.

Yes, those poor Swarthmore grads are struggling.

Actually many liberal arts grads end up making peanuts teaching at private schools because they can't get jobs anywhere else.

Anonymous wrote:Both. The college needs to offer a decent program in the major. No one wants wants to hire an engineer from a general LAC, for example. And some majors are extremely specific and only a few schools have a specialized program for it.

But if you are just talking general majors (science, business, history, etc.) then the college matters more than specific major. Companies want people who know how to think, and will train in the specifics of a job.

Yes, those poor Swarthmore grads are struggling.

Puhlese... Major choice is more important. Look at starting salaries of science majors vs. humanities at any LAC.

Both. The college needs to offer a decent program in the major. No one wants wants to hire an engineer from a general LAC, for example. And some majors are extremely specific and only a few schools have a specialized program for it.

But if you are just talking general majors (science, business, history, etc.) then the college matters more than specific major. Companies want people who know how to think, and will train in the specifics of a job.

college choice
The courses are basically the same between colleges. It's really the value of the name and the peers that matter.

college choice for sure.

What’s more important to future success?