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High-Demand Degrees That Matter

MIAMI (CBS4) - In today's economy there are still plenty of people looking for work.  However, there are also companies seeking out students to give job opportunities to even before they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.

One way of guaranteeing success after graduation can be achieved by seeking high-demand degrees in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics; also referred to by the acronym STEM.

Florida International University student Jonathan believes his physics major will help keep him relevant in the 21st century.

"You're always going to need an engineer," said Jonathan. "Since I am graduating in a STEM field, there seems to be a high demand for it."

According to the most recent statistics from the US Department of Education although the number of college graduates increased about 29% between 2001 and 2009, the number of students graduating with engineering degrees only increased 19% and the number of graduates with Computer and Information Science degrees decreased 14%; lower numbers translates into higher demand.

"There's a reason why they are in demand, it's hard to get a degree in that area, those are hard classes, a lot of math a lot of science, those aren't always people's favorites," said Miami-Dade College enrollment director Dr. Rene Garcia.

It is important to keep in mind that these degrees also come with high price tags.

A four-year degree at a public university costs, on average, $37,343, while an education at a private school will set you back $121,930. But this diploma can be the difference between a future of employment and one of uncertainty.

When it comes to folks with a college degree, they have less unemployment rate and earn more.

"There is something called the million dollar difference where someone who has a degree and someone who doesn't end up making a million dollars more over their lifetime then someone who never got a degree," said Yvette Duarte the Career Services Director at FIU.

When a student enters the process of deciding on a degree, it is important to keep in mind that the highest paying jobs in the highest demand fields such as Computer Science, Engineering, the hard Sciences, Nursing and anything in the Allied Health Field.

 

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