Are you attracted to the humanities, but aren’t sure if a liberal arts education will pay for itself? A degree in liberal arts will set you up for a wide range of employment opportunities and careers. This is especially helpful in a tough economy where you need a wide range of options.
What Does a Liberal Arts Education Cost?
You can get a liberal arts education at a private college for anywhere from $15,000-$45,000 per year. Of course, most students get financial aid packages from the colleges that help offset this cost.
What Types of Jobs Can I Get With a Liberal Arts Degree?
The wonderful thing is you can get many different types of jobs with a liberal arts education. The following are a small sample of jobs you can get with a 4-year degree from a liberal arts college:
Art Major?
Consider a career in graphic design, art therapy, advertizing media, illustrating, and of course, the old standby – art teacher.
Psych Major?
Consider a career in public relations, human resources, market research, recruiting or education. Use your knowledge of how people think and interact to improve employee relations or student-teacher relations, or work for an advertising firm that is into how to speak to a specific audience. Most psych majors do well in marketing and advertising.
Biology Major?
Consider a career as a lab tech, researcher or healthcare worker. You’ll find there are plenty of science-related jobs that do not require an advanced degree, but still allow you to be in the lab doing what you love.
English Major?
Consider a career in publishing, advertising, public relations or marketing. Anything that requires written communication is wide open.
Foreign Language Major?
Consider working for the government, a museum, a publisher or a translation service. You can probably find jobs at just about any organization or business that uses translators (schools, healthcare facilities, government offices) since many of these places need to have someone on call to translate for those who speak English as a second language.
Political Science Major?
Look into a career in government, public relations, community services or working for a nonprofit organization. You might find a job as a lobbyist for a corporation or special interest group to be right up your alley.
A Word of Caution
You will want to watch how much you take out in student loans. Of course, this advice is applicable for any college student, liberal arts student or not. However, private liberal arts colleges can be pricey, especially for those who did not get much in the way of grants or scholarships.
As a general guideline, financial experts recommend you try to limit your total student loan debt to less than half of what you think you’ll make that first year of employment after graduation. This way you can afford to pay down student loan debt without having to live like a pauper when you get out of college.
The Good News About a Liberal Arts Education
A degree in liberal arts will set you up for a wide range of employment opportunities and careers. This is especially helpful when the economy takes a downturn and you need a wide range of options.
