“Want to close the wage gap? Step one: Change your major from feminist dance therapy to electrical engineering.” – Christina H. Sommers via Twitter

Obviously, a college education is an essential foundation for success and opportunity in any career. Unlike generations of the past, today’s students are unable to receive high paying jobs with a mere high school diploma. According to the US Census Bureau, a worker with a Bachelor’s Degree typically earns 67.7% more than someone with only a high school education. College graduates are much more desirable to employers of higher earning positions, and those with a college education also find incredible career opportunities in the connections developed during their time of learning. When a college graduate begins an occupation, this notion of improved opportunity follows; having a college degree often provides for greater promotion opportunity.  Focusing past the allure of fatter paychecks and superior career choice, the sole stimulation of higher learning encourages students to think, ask questions, explore new ideas, and grow and develop their intellect. There is never a drawback to being more intelligent, no matter where one finds him or herself in life.

Yet, while receiving a post-secondary education is a universally beneficial idea, not all college majors are created equal.

STEM majors are the most surefire path to a lucrative career right out of college. STEM is an acronym for the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, fields that lead the advancement of the human race. The 20th century economy was highly based on manufacturing and industry, but like any aspect of human life, this has changed over time. The 21st century economy is different; it’s based off knowledge and ideas. Innovative technology is becoming a part of everyday life, and those who refuse to embrace it will be left out.

Every year, Kiplinger, a publisher of business forecasts and personal finance advice, compiles a list of the “10 Best College Majors for Your Career.” This list is based off several factors, including salary right after graduation and further along in a career path, employer demand, and the percentage of workers with given degrees who feel their jobs have a positive impact on the world. It is unsurprising that after analysis of 215 majors of all shapes and sizes, 9 out of 10 of the majors on the list were STEM oriented. Finance and economics, the odd major out, only comes in at #7 and is arguably one of the most STEM-like social sciences. Humanities degrees simply cannot compete with the superior income and job opportunity offered by STEM majors. According to a new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, graduates with STEM degrees are the most sought after candidates entering the job market, with more than half of surveyed employers saying they planned to hire recipients of Bachelor’s Degrees in the STEM fields. Plus, the first-rate salaries offered by these majors directly after graduation cannot be beat.

An article from Time’s Money publication writes, “College graduates who focused on STEM fields will likely make the highest starting salaries this year,” and the statistics support this claim. Engineers are expected to take home an average of $64,891 a year right out of school, the largest paycheck of any college major. Hitting the technology component of STEM, computer science majors rank as a close second with an expected initial salary of a little over $61,321. Graduates with degrees in science and math trail slightly behind their STEM counterparts, having an average starting salary of $55,087. On the other hand, education and humanities majors ranked at the bottom of the list, with expected starting salaries of $34,891 and $46,065, respectively.

Even so, the monetary profit of majoring in a STEM field pales in comparison to the sheer measure of opportunity that follows. STEM majors have virtually an unlimited number of career paths available because the skill sets acquired through their education are almost universally applicable. For example, a student gets a degree in biological sciences. That degree qualifies him or her to work in a research lab, allows him get a foot in the door of a pharmaceutical company, and provides the knowledge necessary for the MCAT for medical, veterinary, and podiatry school, the DAT for dental school, the PCAT for pharmacy school, and the OAT for optometry school. If none of these options sound appealing, there is also the opportunity for a career in education at the primary or secondary level.

It might be fun to take a course load of liberal arts in college, but it’s not fun being unemployed. Even if STEM subjects are not quite your cup of tea, I would highly recommend exploring some options in the fields. The world is becoming more technologically advanced and complex every day, and people with the necessary knowledge to tackle the challenges of this dynamic society and drive humanity to a future of innovation and prosperity can never be in short supply.