Recent graduates with degrees in three liberal arts majors had average starting salaries that topped $40,000 in 2012, according to a report by the nonprofit National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). NACE’s January 2013 Salary Survey found that liberal arts and sciences/general studies ($43,100), history ($41,900) and English language and literature/letters ($40,200) were the top-paying liberal arts majors in 2012.
The increases in average starting salaries from those paid in 2011 for these three majors ranged from 3.6 percent for English language and literature/letters to 3.9 percent for general studies. While the average starting salary for those who majored in visual and performing arts was the lowest ($33,800) among the liberal arts in 2012, it, too, is on the upswing, representing a 3 percent bump from the average starting salary earned by recent graduates with these majors in 2011.
“This is good news for liberal arts majors and follows the general trend over the past two years of increasing starting salaries for new college graduates,” Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director, said in a media release.
Across-the-Board Increases
The report also revealed that overall average salary for class of 2012 graduates was 3.4 percent higher the average salary for those in the class of 2011. Salaries rose across all broad categories of majors.
|
Average Salaries by Discipline |
|||
|
Broad Category |
2012 Average Salary |
2011 Average Salary |
Percent |
| Business |
$53,900 |
$51,708 |
4.2% |
| Communications |
$43,717 |
$41,988 |
4.1% |
| Computer Science |
$59,221 |
$57,046 |
3.8% |
| Education |
$40,668 |
$38,581 |
5.4% |
| Engineering |
$61,913 |
$59,591 |
3.9% |
| Health Sciences |
$49,196 |
$47,336 |
3.9% |
| Humanities & Social Sciences |
$36,988 |
$36,252 |
2.0% |
| Math & Sciences |
$42,471 |
$41,370 |
2.7% |
| Overall |
$44,455 |
$42,987 |
3.4% |
| Source: NACE January 2013 Salary Survey report | |||
Report data represent accepted starting salaries (not salary offers); they were produced through a compilation of data derived from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau and a master set of data developed by Job Search Intelligence. Data for the January 2013 report were retrieved in November 2012, and reflect the final results for the class of 2012.
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Very good news. There is an ongoing debate in the higher education field about the value of a Liberal Arts degree. In general, a Liberal Arts education is a great thing, as liberal arts majors study classical literature and the foundation for western democracy…. studies that are often forgotten in highly specialized fields and leaves the student without a broad foundation. That said, Liberal Arts majors have to be careful not to generalize too much and have a clear idea, at least by their Junior year, as to how they plan to parlay their degree into a paying career.