Why Liberal Arts Majors Should Learn Digital Marketing

The Grad School Effect: Why Liberal Arts Grads Catch Up In our latest Labor Matters, we showed that graduates of Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs) tend to have low earnings in the early years of their careers, but that gap narrows over time. One big reason? Grad school. LAC grads are significantly more likely to pursue advanced degrees. These degrees often lead to much higher earnings in the long run. As the chart below shows, LACs have far higher graduate school enrollment rates than other institutions. #GraduateSchool #LiberalArts #HigherEd #Labormarkets

📈 Great news for Massachusetts public higher education! Enrollment in MA’s public colleges + universities is back to pre-pandemic levels, with nearly 175,000 students enrolled this fall. Massachusetts students are seizing new opportunities to pursue higher education, build skills, and prepare for rewarding careers. #GoHigher

Averages, of course, hide trends at a given institution. In short, while we should applaud the return of aggregate enrollments to pre-pandemic levels, what is true for many institutions is not true for all. Many factors can contribute to the disparities that averages hide, and regional economic growth or the lack thereof is certainly one of them; institutional leadership and culture are other factors, but the material conditions and social structure of a region (say, a post-industrial landscape like North Central Mass) cannot be ignored. #publichighered #equityineducation

Almost all applicants to top colleges are "competitive"; almost none are actually "compelling." As the long-time Dean of Admissions at Duke, Christoph Guttentag, has said: "We have the luxury of so many smart students applying that we can accept the ones who are both smart and interesting.” In addition to competitive metrics, students applying to top colleges must have a unique area of expertise - a "hook" - to differentiate their candidacy from countless others that mostly look the same. Here are 10 key ways students can build an admissions hook that actually stands out at top colleges: https://lnkd.in/eiJbqXpK

This new report featured in The 74 is not surprising—but it’s still concerning. The data shows significant differences in earnings: STEM, business, and health majors often lead to high salaries, while humanities, education, and the arts lag far behind. Of course, this is great news for STEM fields—but I worry it reinforces a trend of devaluing disciplines that shape our culture and civic life. A thought-provoking read for anyone in higher education leadership. https://lnkd.in/eEeWUBQk

Why do Liberal Arts grads go to grad school more—and earn more later? Last week I shared a chart showing that graduates of Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs) are far more likely to pursue graduate degrees. One big reason: they tend to come from significantly wealthier families than students at other institutions (see chart below). But the influence of family wealth goes beyond grad school. It also shapes early-career decisions. LAC grads, with greater financial backing, can afford to take lower-paying but prestigious first jobs—in nonprofits, research, policy, or the arts. These roles may not pay much at the start, but they often open doors that lead to higher long-term earnings. Thanks to Joseph Winkelmann for his analysis. #HigherEd #LiberalArts #Careers #GraduateSchool

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about growing skepticism not just of higher education, but of the bachelor’s degree specifically. Some prominent conservative voices have said explicitly they’d like to significantly cut the number of students receiving four-year degrees. And there are leaders on the left that are pushing back on the way the bachelor’s degree looms so large over K-12 education and hiring. There are reasons to be concerned. A large share of students who get four year degrees take on debt and young college graduates are facing the highest unemployment rate in a decade (outside of the pandemic). That’s a major change from just a few decades ago when a bachelor’s degree was a pretty sure bet for most who pursued it. At the same time, the information we have on shorter-term programs, which are growing in popularity, is mixed. They appear to provide a small, but fleeting boost in earnings. And despite frequent headlines touting six-figure jobs without a bachelor’s degree, just 3% of workers with more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree earned $130,000 or more in recent years. My look at this dynamic with insights from Rajeev Darolia, Zachary Bleemer, Jeff Strohl, Catharine Bond Hill, Shavar Jeffries, Brian Rosenberg and more. So where do you think we go from here? https://lnkd.in/eGGxZtaj

Public #HigherEducation remains America's most powerful force for economic mobility and opportunity for all. The California State University (CSU) continues to offer life-changing degree opportunities at some of the most affordable rates in the nation. Three CSU campuses are proving the value of a #CalState degree—California State University-Dominguez Hills (No. 16), California State University, Stanislaus (No. 20), and California State University, Los Angeles (No. 22) all earned spots on Forbes’ 2026 list of the Top 25 Colleges with the Highest Payoff. 🎓 Read about more recent college rankings lists that confirm the CSU’s high return on investment: https://lnkd.in/dzuf4Qug #AffordableEducation #College #Ranking

Why Founder’s College Is the Answer to Declining College-Going: Rethinking College in Indiana Via Inside Higher Ed Institutions across the country are piloting three-year bachelor’s options and embedded two-year credentials to align faster, more affordable education with urgent labor market shortages while maximizing current infrastructure to meet needs. https://bit.ly/3IKkEnp

Just the Facts: The Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University, one of the nation’s leading authorities on community college reform, has released a new report examining how first-time community college students think about their programs of study and potential careers during their earliest weeks on campus. As policymakers and institutions continue to redesign onboarding and advising through Guided Pathways reforms, understanding how students actually make choices has never been more critical. The findings in How Do Incoming Community College Students Think About Programs of Study and Potential Careers (Lahr, Minaya, Baker, Delgado, 2025) offer a window into the complexity and opportunity of that decision-making process. 🔶 Most new community college students consider multiple programs and career options, often in unrelated fields, before settling on one. 🔶 Nearly 65% of students report considering three or more career paths as they begin their studies, reflecting both curiosity and uncertainty about their futures. 🔶 Roughly half express high confidence in their initial program choice, even when that choice is made with limited information. 🔶 There is frequent misalignment between educational plans and long-term career goals, especially among students who lack structured guidance early on. 🔶 Colleges offer limited early supports to help students connect their interests and skills to viable career pathways, leaving many to navigate alone. 🔶 Implement intentional career exploration during orientation or the first term to help students connect coursework to real-world outcomes. 🔶 Strengthen advising systems that align majors, credentials, and career pathways from day one. 🔶 Encourage cross-disciplinary discovery, exposing students to high-value, high-demand fields they might otherwise overlook. 🔶 Track how students’ interests and choices evolve across their first year to inform continuous improvement of support systems. CCRC’s research underscores a simple truth: Early clarity about programs of study and career goals can dramatically improve persistence and completion. Clarity doesn't come naturally; it's something that institutions need to help students develop. #HigherEd #CommunityColleges #StudentSuccess #GuidedPathways #CareerReadiness #EnrollmentStrategy