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General Education Major

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General Education

5,611 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
17,800 Master's Degrees Annually
#75 in Popularity
$73,680 Median Salary

Types of Degrees General Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general education graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 17,801
Bachelor’s Degree 5,611
Doctor’s Degree 2,177
Associate Degree 2,078
Graduate Certificate 1,211
Basic Certificate 739
Undergraduate Certificate 193

What General Education Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to education were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Education Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

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  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Sociology and Anthropology - Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Education Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to education:

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  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.

Abilities for Education Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a education student include the following:

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  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a General Education Major?

People with a education degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Education Professors 10.3% $64,780

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in General Education?

5,611 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
85% Percent Women
36% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 5,611 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in general education in 2021, making it rank #75 in popularity. The major attracts more women than men. About 85% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of education majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 320
Black or African American 373
Hispanic or Latino 1,057
White 3,072
International Students 345
Other Races/Ethnicities 444

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Education, too. About 6.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • China
  • South Korea
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Canada
  • Taiwan

How Much Do General Education Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in general education made a median starting salary of $33,820 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $29,651 (25th percentile) and $38,505 (75th percentile).

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It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to education.

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to education is $73,680. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a General Education Major  73,680
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with education may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for education careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree 0.6%
Master’s Degree 9.4%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 0.1%
Doctoral Degree 89.8%
Post-Doctoral Training 0.1%

Online General Education Programs

In 2020-2021, 835 schools offered a education program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 22 3
Certificate (2-4 Years) 1 0
Associate’s Degree 166 21
Bachelor’s Degree 99 19
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 414 83
Post-Master’s 65 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 99 11
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 9 1
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 3 1

Is a Degree in General Education Worth It?

The median salary for a education grad is $73,680 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 85% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $675,600 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to education.

Major Number of Grads
Teacher Education Grade Specific 110,226
Educational Administration 46,469
Teacher Education Subject Specific 43,297
Special Education 36,792
Curriculum & Instruction 19,832
Student Counseling 13,858
Instructional Media Design 8,695
Teaching English or French 5,791
Other Education 4,858
Teaching Assistants 2,751
Educational Assessment 2,552
Multilingual Education 1,910
Education Philosophy 737
International Education 293

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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