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VPM: New data shows lifetime return on investment of Virginia degree programs
Summary
David Feldman, professor emeritus of economics, is interviewed in this article about a new data dashboard that shows the average lifetime earnings of graduates from public institutions across the commonwealth.
Full Description
"The highest-return degree at every public four-year university was either computer engineering, computer science or computer and information sciences. On the flip side, the lowest-ROI degrees at most schools were in the visual or performing arts, particularly those related to drama.
'I think this data has reproduced what we already know,” said David Feldman, a professor emeritus of economics at William & Mary. “Quantitative majors and quantitative programs offer a higher ROI than the humanities do.'
Feldman added that while he thinks SCHEV did a good job with the ROI methodology, he cautioned prospective students and state officials from reading too much into the numbers — and potentially overusing the data to make decisions about particular degrees."