ERIC Number: EJ796510
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Aug
Pages: 12
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0272-7757
EISSN: N/A
Double Your Major, Double Your Return?
Del Rossi, Alison F.; Hersch, Joni
Economics of Education Review, v27 n4 p375-386 Aug 2008
We use the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates to provide the first estimates of the effect on earnings of having a double major. Overall, double majoring increases earnings by 2.3% relative to having a single major among college graduates without graduate degrees. Most of the gains from having a double major come from choosing fields across two different major categories. Graduates who combine an arts, humanities or social science major with a major in business, engineering, science or math have returns 7-50% higher than graduates with a single major in arts, humanities or social science. But such double major combinations have returns no higher than single majors in business, engineering, science or math. Majors combining business and science or math have returns more than 50% greater than the returns to having a single major in these fields. (Contains 5 tables.)
Descriptors: Majors (Students), Social Sciences, College Graduates, Engineering, Humanities, Employment Patterns, Graduate Surveys, Education Work Relationship, Competition, Interdisciplinary Approach, Educational Background, Employment Potential, College Outcomes Assessment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A