Black Enterprise is highlighting a recent study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, which asks whether getting a college education is worth the investment. Shereisa Ngo reports that the study investigates the economic value of 171 college majors and then goes even deeper to provide a breakdown of the highest- and lowest-paying degrees by sex and race.
The careers that paid the most for African Americans included computer networking and telecommunications ($54,000), architects ($55,000) and medical technologies technicians ($55,000).
What we found interesting was the disparity in pay between whites and blacks. For instance, while the average African-American architect makes $55,000, his white counterpart makes $65,000. While general engineering pays African Americans $60,000 per year, white Americans in that field average $76,000. African-American computer scientists earn $61,000, but white American computer scientists earn $80,000. Interesting.
We're a little perturbed about the abundance of studies that keep coming out questioning whether college is worth it. College is worth the investment for more than just having a job — it's an experience that allows people to grow in a myriad of ways, not just economically.
We find it suspicious that these studies are coming from revered institutions of higher learning like Georgetown and Harvard universities, with some of the most educated people in the world conducting research. In the words of Alanis Morissette, isn't it ironic? The data from the study are compelling, but why are people concerned now about whether college is worth it, when campuses are becoming increasingly diverse?
As for the disparity in pay in this so-called postracial society, perhaps the question should be, why is it that when blacks do invest in education, they are paid less and more likely to be laid off than other groups?
Read more at Black Enterprise.
In other news: Republicans Look to End VA Healthcare for Over 1.3 Million Veterans.