The counterintuitive side of engineering

ucbalumnus
Wed, 09 Mar 2011 19:05:40 +0000

ken285:

ucbalumnus, you’re focusing a lot on students’ choices of majors as the difference maker. For people in the same major in different schools, do you believe there is as much of a difference, if any?



Upthread, there is a comparison between same or similar majors between CPSLO and UCB, based on career center survey responses. Considering the limitations of the data, it does appear that there are differences (CPSLO typically has a higher job placement rate, but lower average pay), though one can only speculate why such differences exist (for example, does it have to do with student motivation and purpose in school?). The data also shows that major makes a pretty big difference in job prospects fresh out of school with a bachelor’s degree. For pay rates of first jobs, major appears to make a bigger difference than school (at least between CPSLO and UCB).