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Five Articles on College Graduates: Outlook, Earnings, and More U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Fall 1998

The Class of 1993: One Year After Graduation by Megan Barkume The number of bachelor's degrees awarded by U.S. colleges and universities rose in 1993 for the 16th straight year to a record 1.17 million. How did these graduates fare in the job market? Did they find work that made use of their academic training? How many enrolled to continue their studies? Did academic performance affect their employment or school enrollment status? What did they earn? These questions are answered by a U.S. Department of Education survey of the class of 1993. The 1993 survey is the latest in a series of followup studies of college graduates 1 year after graduation. The Department of Education has also conducted surveys for the classes of 1977, 1980, 1984, 1986, and 1990. In addition to information contained in these previous studies, the latest survey looks at the correlation between academic performance and success in the job market. It will also track the graduates over a 12-year period to provide information on their academic enrollment, degree completion, employment, and public service. This article describes the employment status, continuing education status, effects of academic performance, and earnings of 1993 college graduates as of April 1994. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has analyzed these data for the graduates as a group and for each of 11 major fields of study: Biological sciences Business and management Education Engineering Health professions History Humanities Mathematics, computer sciences, and physical sciences Psychology Public affairs Social sciences Comparisons are also made between professional fields and arts and sciences fields, as defined by the Department of Education.

Table 1: Labor force and graduate school status of new graduates, selected years (percent)
	Class
Year	1977	1980	1984	1986	1990	1993
Total in labor force	86	86	86	89	89	92
Employed full time	69	70	71	73	74	73
Employed part time	12	12	12	12	11	14
Unemployed	5	4	3	4	4	5
Not in the labor force	14	14	14	11	11	9
Enrolled in graduate school	25	26	23	24	35	27

Employment Status About 92 percent of the class of 1993 were in the labor force 1 year after graduation, up from 89 percent for the last comparable class in 1990. This increase reflects a gain in part-time employment. The proportion of unemployed graduates has been relatively stable between 1977 and 1993. The class of 1993's labor force participation rate-the proportion of those graduates employed full or part time or seeking work-varied by field. College graduates with a bachelor's degree in professional fields-business and management, education, engineering, health professions, and public affairs and social services-were usually able to find entry-level work in their field of study. Many graduates in arts and sciences fields-biological sciences; mathematics, computer sciences, and physical sciences; social sciences; history; humanities; and psychology-needed additional education to pursue work in their field. As a result, graduates with a bachelor's degree in professional fields had a higher labor force participation rate (94 percent) than those with a bachelor's in arts and sciences (87 percent). For example, 85 percent of business and management majors were employed full time, compared to 52 percent of graduates in biological sciences. Education majors had the lowest proportion of graduates unemployed (3 percent), less than half the percentage of biological sciences majors (7 percent). However, both the lowest and highest proportions of part-time workers were within professional fields: Business and management degree graduates had the lowest proportion (8 percent), while education had the highest (21 percent).

Table 2: Full-time enrollment in continuing education, by major (percent)
Baccalaureate degree major	Full-time strudents in continuing education
Total	26.1
Professional fields	8.6
Business and management	5.0
Education	10.9
Engineering	14.6
Health professions	10.5
Public affairs and social services	8.7
Arts and Sciences	17.5
Biological sciences	26.6
History	18.2
Humanities	14.2
Mathematics, computer sciences, and physical sciences	20.5
Psychology	18.4
Social sciences	14.4

New graduates were surveyed about whether they felt their jobs required a degree, were related to their major, and had career potential. In general, graduates who majored in professional fields responded more positively to these questions than did arts and sciences graduates. Disciplines such as business, education, engineering, and health professions are closely related to occupations for which a bachelor's degree is sufficient for entry. On the other hand, disciplines such as biological sciences, social sciences, history, and psychology are ssociated with occupations for which a master's or doctoral degree is usually required. Mathematics, computer sciences, and physical sciences majors had the highest proportion among arts and sciences majors responding that their jobs required a degree, were related to their major, and had career potential.	Chart 1: Employment status of college graduates, class of 1993, by major in 1994
Continuing Education Status Twenty-six percent of all class of 1993 graduates were continuing their education within 1 year of receiving their bachelor's degree. Of those, 17 percent were enrolled in graduate or professional school, 4 percent had enrolled in bachelor's or associate degree programs, and about 6 percent were not pursuing a formal credential. Those with degrees in arts and sciences fields had a higher continuing education enrollment proportion (23 percent) than graduates in professional fields (15 percent). Graduates of professional fields and of arts and sciences fields had much different levels of full-time graduate or professional school enrollment. Less than 9 percent of graduates who majored in professional fields were enrolled, while the proportion for arts and sciences graduates was more than double that. Many arts and sciences graduates took preprofessional programs, such as prelaw and premedicine, or planned to enter occupations for which a master's or doctoral degree is usually required.
Chart 2: Relation of current job to major field and career potential of job, class of 1993, by major field of study	Other class of 1993 graduates who were not enrolled in school 1 year after earning their bachelor's degree still planned to continue their education at a later date. Many graduates, for example, said they would delay additional study to gain work experience before returning to school. These graduates planned to resume their education in the future, as indicated in the following tabulation of the educational aspirations of class of 1993 graduates in 1994: No plans 16% Postbaccalaureate certificate 1% Pursue degree    Master's 59%    Doctoral 17%    First professional 6%    Other 1%
Chart 3: Educational status of college graduates, class of 1993, in 1994

Table 3: Class of 1993 employment, career potential, and continuing education status in 1994, by GPA (percent)
	Employment Status				Career potential		Continuing education status
	Working		Not working
Cumulative GPA	Full time	Part time	Unemployed	Not in labor force	Definite/ possible potential	Job related to degree	Enrolled full time	Enrolled part time	Not enrolled
3.5 or higher	67	16	4	13	74	79	18	6	77
3.0 - 3.49	74	13	5	8	72	77	12	6	82
Under 3.0	78	13	5	4	70	70	8	6	87

Chart 4: Average salary of graduate employed full time, class of 1993, by major field of study, 1994 Academic Performance Graduates' employment and enrollment status is also related to their academic performance. (See table 3.) Class of 1993 graduates with the highest grade point average (GPA) had the lowest unemployment rates; these graduates also were most likely to hold jobs that had definite or possible career potential and were related to their major. In addition, graduates with the best grades were much more likely to be enrolled full time in graduate school and, as a result, to be out of the labor force. Graduates with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, for example, were more than twice as likely to be enrolled in continuing education as those with a GPA of less than 3.0. Earnings Earnings varied by major and occupation. Graduates who majored in health professions and engineering had the highest average salaries of all graduates; education and psychology graduates earned the least. Earnings data show similar results for the occupations associated with those fields: The highest paid workers had jobs in engineering and health professions; the lowest earners worked in service occupations such as waiter, child-care worker, nursing aide, and teacher. Limitations of the Data The information in this article should be helpful to individuals selecting a major field of study because it indicates the range of job possibilities for graduates with a degree in the fields discussed. However, the reader should be aware that the data are affected by the size of the sample, the time at which the survey was taken, and the qualifications of candidates other than their academic major-for example, minor fields of study, other courses, extracurricular activities, work experience, grades, quality of the school, and personality traits. Also, the information was collected only a short time after graduation. People are likely to change occupations as they gain experience or additional education.

The results of the survey are based on a nationally representative sample of 10,080 college graduates who received bachelor's degrees between July 1992 and June 1993. Data were collected by a Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) survey, as well as field interviewing when necessary, between June and October 1994. This sample represents about 1 percent of all bachelor's degree recipients during the same period. The results of a survey covering all graduates might differ. The following charts profile the 11 major fields for which the survey yielded reliable data. For each field, the charts show the major occupations of the graduates, and the text provides additional information on employment, unemployment, school enrollment, career potential, and earnings.

Chart 5: Average salary of graduates employed full time, class of 1993 by occupation, 1994

Where is the class of '93? One Year Later Biological Sciences The biological sciences include majors in zoology, botany, biochemistry, and biophysics. This field had the lowest percentage of graduates employed 1 year after graduation (69 percent). Of those employed, 52 percent worked full time and 17 percent worked part time. Biological sciences majors also had the highest proportion unemployed (almost 10 percent) among all graduates. But many professional jobs in biological sciences require an advanced degree, and the 35 percent of biological sciences majors enrolled in continuing education 1 year after graduation is the largest proportion of any field surveyed. About 64 percent reported that their jobs were related to biological sciences; about half (49 percent) reported that a 4-year degree was required for their job; and 57 percent said their jobs had career potential. The largest percentage of biological sciences graduates held jobs in other professions, including scientists (17 percent) and administrative and clerical support (17 percent) and noncomputer technician jobs (16 percent). Job opportunities for bachelor's degree holders include school teacher and health technician. Biological sciences majors employed full time averaged $22,800 a year. Business and Management The business and management field had the highest number of graduates employed 1 year after graduation (92 percent). Eighty-five percent were employed full time, and 8 percent were employed part time. About 4 percent of business and management majors were unemployed. Relatively few (10 percent) were enrolled in continuing education. Eighty-five percent of graduates reported holding jobs that were related to business and management; about half (51 percent) said that a 4-year degree was required for their job; and 77 percent said that their jobs had career potential. Over 31 percent of graduates were working in business and management occupations. Other professions, including accounting, employed 26 percent of graduates; another 24 percent worked in adminis-trative and clerical support occupations, including bank teller, bookkeeping, real estate appraiser, and insurance adjuster. Business and management majors working full time averaged $27,100 a year. Education Graduates in education had a relatively high labor force participation rate (89 per-cent) 1 year after graduation, with 68 per-cent employed full time and 21 percent employed part time. These graduates had the lowest proportion unemployed of all fields (less than 4 percent). Many States require a master's degree for teaching cer-tification. About 19 percent of education graduates were enrolled in continuing edu-cation 1 year after graduation. Nearly 80 percent of graduates reported being in jobs related to education; 66 percent said that a 4-year degree was required for their job; and 75 percent said that their jobs had career potential. The majority of education graduates (57 percent) were employed as school teachers. Some of those were substitute teachers. The next largest category of employment was administrative or clerical support, accounting for 13 percent of graduates. The average annual salary of education majors employed full time was $19,300, the lowest salary of all fields studied; however, most teachers work a 10-month year. Engineering Eighty-five percent of engineering graduates were employed 1 year after graduation, 76 percent of them full time and 9 percent part time. Almost 7 percent of engineering graduates were unemployed, more than double the 3 percent for engineering graduates in the class of 1990. A relatively high proportion (21 percent) was enrolled in continuing education 1 year after graduation. About 87 percent reported that their jobs were related to their major field; 79 percent said a 4-year degree was required for their job; and 82 percent said that their jobs had career potential. Over half of engineering graduates (54 percent) were concentrated in engineering jobs. The proportion of graduates working in other fields ranged from 5 percent in administrative and clerical support to 12 percent in business and management. Engineering graduates employed full time had the second highest salary of all fields studied, $30,900.

Health Professions Health professions include allied health, such as dental or medical technician, community or mental health, and nurse assisting; physical education or recreation; and other areas of health, such as audiology, dentistry, medicine, nursing, health or hospital administration, and dietetics. About 89 percent of health professions graduates were employed 1 year after graduation, with 73 percent full time and 15 percent part time. About 5 percent were unemployed. A high proportion of these workers (91 percent) reported that their jobs were related to their major field; 73 percent said a 4-year degree was required for their job; and 80 percent said their jobs had career potential. Seventeen percent of graduates were enrolled in continuing education after graduation. Sixty percent of graduates were employed in health professions 1 year after graduation. About 10 percent were employed as noncomputer technicians, including medical and dental technicians, hygienists, radiology technicians, and clinical lab technicians. Health professions graduates working full time averaged $31,300, the highest of all fields. History Eighty-six percent of all history graduates were employed 1 year after graduation, 72 percent of them full time and 14 percent part time. About 5 percent of these gradu-ates were unemployed. Nearly a quarter of history graduates were enrolled in continu-ing education after graduation. This comparatively large number is not surprising, because an advanced degree is usually required to work in this field. A relatively low 42 percent of graduates reported having a job related to history. Only 41 percent of graduates reported that a 4-year degree was required for their job, and 67 percent of graduates reported that their jobs had career potential. Jobs of history graduates were widely distributed. Nearly a quarter of graduates held jobs in business and management; the next largest group, 18 percent, had administrative and clerical sup-port jobs; and 15 percent were employed as school teachers, possibly to teach history. History graduates working full time had among the lowest salaries of all fields surveyed, $21,300. Humanities The humanities field includes foreign languages, philosophy, theology, and the arts. Eighty-four percent of humanities majors were employed 1 year after graduation, 64 percent full time and 20 percent part time. Of all fields studied, these graduates had one of the highest percentages of part-time workers (20 percent). Over 5 percent were unemployed. About 19 percent of humani-ties graduates were enrolled in continuing education 1 year after graduation. A relatively low 58 percent said they worked in jobs related to their major field; 45 percent reported that a 4-year degree was required for their job; and 66 percent said their jobs had career potential. Jobs for humanities majors were widely dispersed, characteristic of majors that do not provide training for a specif-ic profession. The largest portion (30 percent) worked in other professions, including arts and entertain-ment, the law, as clergy, and in social work, architecture, and accounting. The average salary of humanities graduates working full time was $19,500. Mathematics, Computer Sciences, and Physical Sciences A large proportion of mathematics, computer sciences, and physical sciences graduates (82 percent) was employed 1 year after graduation, 68 percent of them full time and 14 percent part time. The proportion unemployed was nearly 6 percent. Twenty-five percent of mathematics, computer sciences, and physical sciences majors were enrolled in continuing education 1 year after graduation. The majority of graduates in these fields (82 percent) reported that their jobs were related to their major; 68 percent said that a 4-year degree was required for their job; and 75 percent said their jobs had career potential. Graduates worked in a wide range of occupations. The largest group, more than a quarter, was employed in computer sciences and programming occupations. The average salary of these graduates working full time was $25,400. Psychology Among psychology majors, 81 percent were employed 1 year after graduation, with 67 percent working full time and 15 percent part time; almost 6 percent were unemployed. As expected, psychology had a high rate of graduate school enrollment (28 percent) because a graduate degree is required for most jobs in this field. A fairly low 57 percent said that their jobs were related to psychology; 45 percent said a 4-year degree was required for their job; and 53 percent said their jobs had career potential. The majority of workers were split between business and management (26 percent); other professions, including social work, clergy, and science (24 percent); and administrative and clerical support occupations (22 percent). The others held service, teaching, health professional, sales, and noncomputer technician jobs. The average salary of psychology graduates working full time was $21,600, the second lowest of all fields studied.

Public Affairs and Social Services The public affairs and social services field includes protective services, social work, and public administration. About 88 percent of graduates were employed 1 year after graduation, 75 percent full time and 13 percent part time. A relatively low proportion (under 5 percent) was unemployed. Fourteen percent of graduates were enrolled in continuing education 1 year after graduation. Seventy-two percent reported that their jobs were related to their major field; 49 percent reported that a 4-year degree was required for their job; and 68 percent said their jobs had career potential. Graduates were fairly widely dispersed. The largest portion, 32 percent, had jobs in other professions, including public relations, radio and television announcing, and social work; the second largest, 22 percent, had jobs in protective services; and the third largest, 16 percent, had jobs in business and management. Public affairs and social services graduates working full time averaged $22,000 a year. Social Sciences The social sciences field includes anthropology, archaeology, economics, geography, sociaology, political science, and international relations. About 86 percent of graduates were employed 1 year after graduation, 73 percent full time and 13 percent part time; 5 percent were unemployed. About 19 percent were enrolled in continuing education year after graduation. Fifty-seven percent of social science graduates reported that their jobs were related to their major field; 47 percent said that a 4-year degree was required for their job and 68 percent said their jobs had career potential The majority of graduates held jobs in administrative and clerical occupations (26 percent). The average Salary of social science majors working full time was $22,100 a year. Megan Barkume is an economist formerly with the Office of Employment Projections, BLS.

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