Temple University Economics Professor Doug Webber does some fascinating research on the impact of our academic choices in college. In a world plagued by a lust for prestige, how much does it really matter in terms of your ability to earn a good living?
I’m thrilled to have Doug back as my first repeat guest! Make sure and take a listen to Episode 18 where we discuss the value of New York State’s “Excelsior Scholarship” which is meant to provide a free college education to a certain segment of New York’s households. Here we spend more time on the research that really occupies his time, which is the impact of college on the labor force. Are there good jobs for humanities majors? Will you, in fact, be doomed if you do not attend a Top 25 US News-ranked school? Are the robots coming for our jobs, and how soon? Professor Webber was kind enough to host me in his fancy corner office on campus at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA.
Further listening/reading:
“My Little Hundred Million” Malcolm Gladwell, Revisionist History
“It Depends What you Study, Not Where” The Economist, 2015
“Examining the Interstate Mobility of Recent College Graduates” Kelchen and Webber, 2018
“Is College Worth it? Going Beyond Averages” Webber, Third Way, 2018