After 25 years in higher education and working with thousands of students on their college success and career outcomes, I have come to a conclusion that surprises many families. That means we’re asking the wrong questions about college.
Young people are told to focus on choosing the “right” major (usually the one that leads to the highest starting salary). This is the benchmark that many people strive for, and it is also the one that I see students stress the most about.
But real careers don’t play out that way. Over the years, I have seen students from vastly different majors reach similar places professionally. I have seen liberal arts and communications graduates catch up with business and STEM graduates. I’ve also seen students reach a plateau in their “practical” majors sooner than expected.
What will separate high-income earners 10 years from now
I tell students and their parents many times that what matters most is not the major itself, but how you use your time in college.
Burning Glass Institute research confirms what I’ve seen firsthand. Depending on your major, your starting salary may be higher, but the difference is not fixed. Many graduates in non-technical fields close the gap within 10 years.
Yes, the first job is important. But long-term success tends to come from four factors: choosing the right major, building valuable skills, gaining real-world experience, and building a strong network. Here’s how all this works together:
1. Passion is important, but harmony pays off.
There are students who love their studies but find it difficult to take classes or are unable to put their learning into action after graduation. There is passion, but there is no coordination. Adjustment forces students to focus on important questions. “What am I interested in?” What am I good at? Where are the opportunities?
Research from the Equal Opportunity Research Foundation shows that outcomes vary by major. However, even within the same major, student performance can quickly vary.
This is because major alone does not determine success or failure. Students who are more intentional about how their major connects to real opportunities that they are actually interested in tend to move forward.
2. Starting salary is a moment, not a trajectory.
Graduates with adaptable skill sets tend to continue to grow over time, while others plateau.
I’ve seen this play out many times. Students who started out with modest salaries, majoring in communications, political science, and English, went on to become managers, entrepreneurs, and leaders. In 10 or 15 years, it will matter little where you started.
Despite this, starting salary is still treated as the main metric, which is a mistake. Some degrees, especially technical degrees, offer high salaries early on. That part is real. But what happens after that is much less predictable.
As Inside Higher Ed points out, graduates with adaptable skills continue to grow while others often plateau. In the long run, the difference is far more important than where you start.
3. Portable skills actually make more sense
Technical skills can open doors, but they don’t determine how far a person can reach. People who continue to progress tend to develop strengths in communication, leadership, problem-solving, and decision-making under pressure.
Employers consistently rank these as important, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
I think back to three students I mentored at Howard University. Although each had a different major, all led the university’s large homecoming committee, perhaps one of the most complex student-organized events in the country. They learned how to coordinate teams, handle pressure, and make high-stakes decisions.
After graduating, all three went on to high-paying careers in event planning and management, working for major brands and starting their own businesses. Even if the major is different, the result is the same. The difference was the transferable skills they developed.
4. What you do outside the classroom matters.
While the classroom is important, some of the most important growth occurs through leadership roles, student organizations, campus involvement, and hands-on projects.
I have watched student government leaders continue to navigate complex operations across the industry. I’ve seen passionate students go on to build careers in media, business, the arts, and entrepreneurship.
In many cases, how you spent your college years was more important than your first job after graduation.
Rasheem Rooke is vice president of scholarships and programs at the United Negro College Fund. With deep expertise in college access, affordability, and student success, his work focuses on helping students and families navigate the financial realities of higher education. Rooke is also the author of Thriving in College: 10 Real World Lessons for College Success.
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