By not entering these lucrative fields, women are “setting themselves up for a lifetime of inequity before they even crack open a text book,” argues Berger. “STEM majors are the most valuable majors by far and I think we need to work on getting more women in those classes.”
Berger cites a toxic culture as the primary explanation for why women are do not embrace these valuable majors. “There is a certain type of culture that exists in many of these male-dominated fields,” she says. “No one wants to feel like the other, whether that is in your class or in your work.”
Petroleum Engineering tops TheCashlorette’s list of most valuable majors. According to data visualization initiative Data USA, 83.3 percent of Petroleum Engineering majors are men. The median income for someone who majored in Petroleum Engineering is $134,840.88, which is twice the median income for all bachelor’s degree holders.
Petroleum engineering majors also have an incredibly low unemployment rate — just 2.38 percent. Students who earn this degree often go on to be civil engineers, software developers and professors.
Read on to see the five most valuable college majors. As Berger says, “At the end of the day, college is a major financial decision.”
Median income: $103,695
Unemployment rate: 2.78 percent
Median income: $104,557
Unemployment rate: 2.7 percent
Median income: $99,029
Unemployment rate: 1 percent
Median income: $116,642
Unemployment rate: 2.67 percent
Median income: $134,841
Unemployment rate: 2.38 percent
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