Copyright Newsweek
One of the most popular college majors is seeing a significant decline in graduates, according to a new report from AEI. The class of 2023 earned 2.1 million bachelor’s degrees, an increase from 1.8 million degrees awarded to the class of 2010. However, when it came to communications and journalism majors, there was a slight decline. "The market now rewards technical and data-driven skills and comms, ironically, hasn't done a great job of communicating its value in that landscape,” HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek, in part. Why It Matters College students appear to be going after majors that lead to jobs in industries with a higher salary potential. The number of degrees earned in fields of study where the median early-career salary exceeds $60,000 grew by 60 percent between 2010 and 2023. What To Know While communications saw a modest decline in college graduates, computer science and other fields surged in popularity. Computer science degrees tripled from 2010 to 2023, according to the report, while nursing increased by 96 percent and engineering majors surged by 63 percent. Lower-earning majors beyond just communications saw drops, however. Most notably, English and linguistics declined by 39 percent, and history dropped at a rate of 38 percent. Both sociology and education were down by 17 percent and 15 percent, respectively. “Fewer students choose comms, as well as other specialized degrees, because it doesn't guarantee a job or career path it once did. The market now rewards technical and data-driven skills and comms, ironically, hasn't done a great job of communicating its value in that landscape,” HR consultant Bryan Driscoll told Newsweek. “This shift reflects a broader problem in higher ed. Degrees are still being marketed as tickets to stability, but the economy doesn't honor that promise. Students are responding rationally to an irrational system.” The low-earning majors are likely being left behind as a larger proportion of Americans question the merits of higher education entirely. A survey from the Pew Research Center found 47 percent of Americans say college is only worth it if you don’t have to take on debt. And another 29 percent say college is not worth it at all. What People Are Saying Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “Communications has been a popular major for decades among college students, primarily due to its flexibility in the job market. With higher prices in virtually all aspects of our current economy, though, the appeal of role flexibility is lessening in favor of pursuing majors that offer higher incomes from year one at the job onward.” Driscoll told Newsweek: “Employers will keep complaining about soft skills shortages, but this is the predictable outcome of a labor market that undervalues them. We've turned education into a transaction, and communication - one of the most human, relational skill sets - doesn't fit neatly on a balance sheet.” Drew Powers, the founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek: “For a time in the past, simply obtaining a college degree guaranteed better employment opportunities and higher earnings. But certainly with Gen X, if not shortly before, simply having a diploma became less valuable. The choice of major became more important, and the cost/reward proposition of higher education became more precarious. So, it is no surprise that around 2010 we shift away from ‘education for education’s sake’ and more into majors that pay a salary commensurate with the cost of obtaining said education.” What Happens Next With fewer college students enrolling in communications classes, there could be a gap in skillsets for the next crop of graduates. “There could be concern that some of the broad-based skills communications classes teach could be lost as students lean into career specialization,” Beene said. “The flexibility to use skills in different careers that communications can sometimes facilitate could still be needed in future years.” Students are largely following the money and the security right now, said Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group and the host of the 9innings podcast. “They’re moving toward degrees less likely to be replaced by AI, focusing on science, engineering, and technology, the areas that will define the next chapter of our economy,” Thompson told Newsweek. “The writing’s on the wall for communications. You no longer need a degree to build an audience or influence. In today’s world, credibility can be earned through content, not classrooms and students are paying attention to that.”
