Congratulations graduates
As you bask in the splendor of summer vacation, perhaps your last for a long, long time, we have some surprising factoids about you and your current position in life. Some may make you chuckle and some, well … you’ll just have to wait and see.
- You are one of 1.8 million other people.
- Only about 1/3 of Americans over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree.
- 60% of you are female, mostly graduating with health and education degrees. Men still choose more computer science and engineering majors. However, it’s a 50-50 split for sciences and business degrees.
- The median wages for folks like you are about $37,000 a year.
- Science, health and education grads – you’ll have an easier time finding jobs than social work, humanities and arts graduates.
- Engineering majors, you can expect to make around $63,000 a year. Computer science and math graduates are expected to make $48,000.
- Business majors -1 out of every 5 of you- will be looking at $40,000.
- Those of you with liberal arts, communications, education and psychology degrees, start looking for another roommate perhaps, because your salary is between 30 and 34 thousand dollars a year.
- About 70% of you are graduating with student loans to pay back, an average of 35 grand. Yikes!
- Hiring of you is up by 16% over last year, according to a survey by Michigan State University
- 51% Information services
- 31% finance and insurance
- 24% business and scientific services
- 24% government
- 17% manufacturing
- 16% nonprofits
- More than half of employers are offering signing bonuses for you if you’re hired. Wow!
Since less than six out of every ten students who enroll at a 2- and 4-year college actually get a degree within six years, your degree does give you something special that will last the rest of your life. So be good to yourself! We’re all proud of you.
