Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce recently released a study clearly showing, for the first time, the earning potential of certain majors versus others. Engineering, computers, and mathematics top the list of median earnings, although business degrees, at 25 percent of all degrees awarded, are the most popular.

 

But Peter Thiel argues that college is completely pointless if you’re interested in starting a new venture, and he’s put money into the game. Thiel (at right) is the PayPal co-founder and venture capitalist who’s giving 24 college kids $100,000 each to drop out of school and start their own businesses. Bloggers and commentators immediately criticized him, not only because he himself earned degrees at Stanford, but because his selection criteria of the best-and-the-brightest is essentially cherry-picking from those students talented enough to have gotten into the top schools at all.

Not everyone agrees with the implications of the study. Professor Bill Linn of George Perkins Marsh Institute at Clark University makes this useful observation:

This study says nothing about the personal and political values of less remunerative majors, quality of life, or vast differences of individual economic and social circumstances. Use this information to help you think about, not make, your choices about a major.

Sage advice, perhaps, for those who gave up a more lucrative (salary-wise) career to enter the field of journalism and communications.