Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by sokoloff 1240 days ago
Back in the 1950s, when only 10-12% of Americans over 25 had a 4-year degree or more, a humanities degree was a lot more valuable than today, because it marked you in the top 10-12% in terms of education.

Then “way more people should go to college” happened, which is by and large a good thing, but means that whoever has the least valuable degree is in a worse spot than that same degree would represent in 1955.
1 comments
hgsgm 1240 days ago
> it marked you in the top 10-12% in terms of education.

"Education" as in status/wealth. The humanities education wasn't what made them marketable.

link
escapedmoose 1240 days ago
Do you have any data to back that assumption? A dedicated humanities degree would impart skills beyond what a typical high school graduate had. This should translate to higher marketability unrelated to status/wealth.
link