Five Million College Grads in Jobs that Don't Require a High School Diploma

A new study by the "Center for College Affordability and Productivity" finds that 48% of recent college graduates are now in jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree, and 37% hold jobs that require just a high school diploma.  The median starting salary for students graduating from four-year colleges in 2009 and 2010 was $27,000, down from $30,000 for those who entered the work force in 2006 to 2008, according to the study.  As a matter of fact, college graduates are fortunate to find any job in today’s bleak economy.  In 2006 and 2007, 90% of all college graduates found a job within a year of graduating.  Since 2011, just 56% of college graduates are able to find work.

The choice of major is extremely important in finding that first job, according to the New York Times. "Young graduates who majored in education and teaching or engineering were most likely to find a job requiring a college degree, while those who majored in Latin American studies and humanities majors were least likely to do so."  Among all recent education graduates, 71.1 percent were in jobs that required a college degree; of all area studies majors, Latin American studies and humanities majors, the share was 44.7 percent.