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Rich Grad, Poor Grad: Family Background and College Major Choice

Margaret Leighton,
Jamin D. Speer

Expected earnings matter for college major choices, and majors differ in both their average earnings and the age profile of their earnings. We show that students' family background is strongly related to the earnings paths of the major they choose. Students with more educated parents, especially those who have graduate degrees, choose majors with lower early-career earnings but much faster earnings growth. They are also less likely to choose safe majors with little early-career earnings or unemployment downside. Parental income has a weaker relationship with major choice and operates mostly through the type of institution the student attends.

Keywords
college major; family background
Education level
Post-secondary education
Topics
Pathways to and Through Postsecondary
Tags
Higher education,
Equity,
Human capital
Download 05/2023
Document Object Identifier (DOI)
10.26300/2e43-3755
EdWorkingPaper suggested citation:
Leighton, Margaret, and Jamin D. Speer. (). Rich Grad, Poor Grad: Family Background and College Major Choice. (EdWorkingPaper: -767). Retrieved from Annenberg Institute at Brown University: https://doi.org/10.26300/2e43-3755

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