What The 1% Majored In

There are a lot of factors to weigh when picking your college major. Like, for example, will this major land me in the top 1% of earners? Despite the statistical rarity of such an ambition, there are majors that lead far more often to 1% status than others.

The New York Times recently endeavored to find what the top 1% of earners majored in while in college. Using information from the Census Bureau's 2010 American Community Survey, they found being a pre-med gave you the best chance of joining the financial cream of the crop. Economics came in second. In a surprise twist, zoology cracked the top 5.

Funnily, this is a somewhat different list than 2011's best paying majors, in which petroleum engineering took the top spot.
Check out our slide show of the majors most likely to lead you to 1% status. Then tell us, does this list make sense to you? Weigh in below!

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Comments

[marcchagal]

12:44 PM on 03/19/2012

The 1% percent majored in corruption, hypocrisy, greed, hate, racism, entitlement, false religious values, false family values, and are horrible, hateful, despicable human beings.

I just described the republican party. The worst GOP in the history of this country. They r a disgrace to this country and a bane on our society and democracy.

[Nikki710]

01:50 PM on 02/29/2012

Wait, so your telling us that if you major in Lesbian and Gay Studies you probably won't end up in the top 1%, but if you major in biology or economics you might? Whoaaaa! What a mind blow -__-

[HockeyMom]

08:08 PM on 02/20/2012

I'm not sure many people work their way into the top 1%. The obvious would be people like Jobs and Mark Z. I would think most had at least of good bank roll to work with first and yes worked hard. But having a leg up is a really good thing, no student loans help, top notch name brand college education helps too, hefty down payment on that first house greases the slide nicely also. Those little helpers are known as boot straps, something most of don't have but what we are suppose to pull on.

[DanSc]

11:34 AM on 02/29/2012

I know you posted this over a week ago, but Jobs and Mark Z. are not just in the 1%. They're in the 1% of the 1% of the 1%. That's a very different standard.

[mira chancleta]

09:50 AM on 02/20/2012

C'mon...they majored in THE most popular major of all times...

"Cause Mummy and Dadday Said So",
with a Concentration in "Sun-Tanning"
and a Minor in "It's All About Me"

[WC Phields]

10:01 AM on 02/20/2012

Jealous? Only a minority inherited their riches. The majority worked hard and created a business that thrived and created employment for people along the way to reach the top 1 %.

Isn't America great?

[mira chancleta]

10:14 AM on 02/20/2012

Oh, the "job creators"? How did I miss that at Cornell?

[paul87920]

09:04 PM on 02/23/2012

And your claims about the 1% are based on what proof?

[Jon Keating]

05:14 AM on 02/16/2012

One of these is my major! Can I be let into the 1%, please! pretty please!

[WC Phields]

10:02 AM on 02/20/2012

Typical liberal who wants to join a club without doing any of the work.

[Jon Keating]

11:44 AM on 02/20/2012

Typical conservative, cant understand even subtle forms of humor.

[Ariana Avitia]

03:26 PM on 02/22/2012

That was sarcasm on his part.

[summer261987]

04:40 AM on 02/14/2012

majors picked by the 1% doesn't necessarily means these majors will "land me in the top 1% of earners".... nice try though~

[FreeIsTheWay]

11:16 PM on 02/07/2012

Somebody needs to go back to school to learn about statistics. The two lists are vastly different things, obvious to somebody with an understanding of statistics, but not necessarily so for somebody without. It is funny that our high schools usually require students to learn trigonometry and basic calculus, but rarely statistics. Yet, statistics is far more applicable to all but a few fields of study.

[michelv]

12:45 AM on 02/07/2012

"Funnily, this is a somewhat different list than 2011's best paying majors"

Yes, because funnily, the two don't have much to do with each other.

[markopolio]

05:06 PM on 02/05/2012

they majored in... MAJORS. wow. It's kind of like they used the connections they have in life to get good jobs. I might just have to try that.

[corwin]

06:19 AM on 02/10/2012

My parent's connections are the only reason my MCATs were straospheric.

[livingdangerously]

05:05 PM on 02/15/2012

Yeah, well perhaps your parents MONEY foot a large part of the bill for school and living expenses so YOU could have the luxury of studying without working 2 jobs to pay for school.

In fact, they should ask for their money back, because you can't spell correctly.

[Ayla87]

12:58 PM on 02/02/2012

So lets Recap

Six of these degrees are STEM majors
Two of them are math intensive business majors (Economics & Finance)
And another two are foreign language intensive (Ethnic and International Studies)

What a shocker: Applying yourself and learning math science or foreign language can lead to big bucks in the job market.

[Quis Custodiet]

09:59 PM on 02/06/2012

STOP THAT CONSERVATIVE NONSENSE!!!

Majoring in "Petting Squirrels" has SOCIAL VALUE!!!!

[taylor5]

03:32 PM on 02/20/2012

Hello. Conservatives do not believe in math and science

[michelv]

12:47 AM on 02/07/2012

To make this data even remotely useful, we would need to know what percentage of these folks reached the 1% within their field of study.

[liberalpolicysucks]

12:03 AM on 02/01/2012

surprised about "art History and criticism or whatever that one was.

Now. U.S. History was one of 11 majors with highest unemployment, but "History" is one of the top 1%.

[LaurieAnn]

12:19 PM on 02/06/2012

Art History?  Tells me there's inherited wealth to be had.

[michelv]

12:49 AM on 02/07/2012

If you get lucky (and are connected) and land a nice job in an high-end art dealership, you can make a killing in commissions. If you are even luckier and have your own successful dealership, then you make an even bigger killing.

[mira chancleta]

09:52 AM on 02/20/2012

You'll never convince the Guggenheims of that, will you?

[50IsTheNew40]

07:25 PM on 01/31/2012

Very interesting article, indeed! Zoology? Who knew! http://www.someeconomist.com/2012/01/31/speaking-of-the-1/

[Ariana Avitia]

03:28 PM on 02/22/2012

Zoology always shocks me.

It's one of the best paid apparently.

[T4Timbuktu]

03:24 PM on 01/31/2012

No Communications, Journalism or "Gender Studies" majorsin that group? Occupy seems to have gotten the first pick of them.

[Quis Custodiet]

10:00 PM on 02/06/2012

Or you could actually go down to the Occupy Camps and interview the people there. Then again, if you did that you would not have a talking point.

[T4Timbuktu]

07:17 AM on 02/07/2012

You've interviewed them have you?

[makara214]

04:17 AM on 01/31/2012

Monsanto, Big Pharma, Banks, and Lobbyists. No surprises. The rest? Art and zoology -- pastimes of the those who have inherited big $$. This is news?

[Tania2568]

02:51 AM on 01/31/2012

I don't mind doctors being in the 1%. If I am sick I would rather have one who is successful and good at his job. Unlike Wall Street traders that get rich off non value adding work, at least they save lives and contribute to society.