A Profile of Senior Economics Majors in the United States

The results are presented of a 1981 survey, sponsored by the American Economic Association's Committee on Economic Education and the Joint Council on Economic Education, of 1,080 senior majors in economics at 48 US colleges and universities who graduated in spring 1981. Among the students, 36% were women. Nonwhite majors were twice as abundant at comprehensive institutions, and SAT scores were substantially above the national average and remarkably similar across schools. Reasons for majoring in economics include: 1. interest in the subject, 2. improved prospects for employment, 3. practical knowledge, and 4. preparation for professional school (in particular, law and business). Women appeared to be at a relative and absolute disadvantage in performance in college economics, but not in grade point average achievement. Whites seemed to score better than nonwhites. The most common occupational goals for those seeking immediate employment were general management, sales and marketing, and analyst.