Studies show that deeply engaging in an Arts and Sciences education - for its own sake - enriches graduates' lives and careers. In our rapidly evolving, AI-enabled world, college graduates need to be adaptable, well-rounded, and innovative to build successful - and purpose-filled - lives and careers. An SAS education builds these and other Career Readiness Competencies needed for long-term success. The SAS Core Curriculum, majors, minors, and electives, which include internship and other experiential learning courses, allow our alumni to create pathways to success that reflect their strengths, interests, and values.
Is it worth investing in an Arts and Sciences degree?
SAS graduates perform as well as graduates from other majors at Rutgers - New Brunswick with nearly nine out of ten graduates reporting that they entered their post-graduation activity of choice within six months after graduation. See Table 1 below.
Table: First Destination Outcomes of Graduates (Within 6 months of graduation), May 2024 graduate data
| School | Placement rate | Median Starting Salary | Average additional salary |
| Rutgers University- New Brunswick (All Schools and Majors) | 89% | $70,000 | 13,253 |
| School of Arts and Sciences | 89% | $65,000 | $17,634 |
| Source: https://careers46.rutgers.edu/public/new_webpage_gradsurveyHome.cfm |
A new report on the Benefits of Higher Education in New Jersey shows a clear return on investment to earning a college degree, regardless of major. Once the cost of education is subtracted, those who graduate with a Bachelor's degree in New Jersey earn an average of $1.3 million more than a High School graduate! The starting salaries for humanities and social science majors are well above the median starting wage for all workers in the state, and in the middle when wages for all majors are compared. Salaries have also been rising the fastest for majors including philosophy, cultural studies, fitness/kinesiology, biological sciences, psychology and other arts and sciences disciplines.
What are you going to do with your SAS degree?
The articles below demonstrate growing employer demand for the durable skills an arts and sciences education offers. Pursuing the many options you have to gain hands-on, career-relevant experiential learning and networking experience with the more than 250,000 Rutgers alumni who reside in the tri-state area will help you navigate to a wider range of career options than you might imagine!
- Top Skills Needed for Success in 2025 (World Economic Forum video)
- The Unexpected Value of the Liberal Arts: First-generation students are finding personal and professional fulfillment in the humanities and social sciences.
- The Examined Life: Robert George and Cornel West on the purpose of liberal arts education - AEI
- Students who Study Abroad Fare Better in the Job Market
- In the Salary Race, Engineers Sprint but English Majors Endure (NY Times)
- The Growing Importance of Social Skills in the Labor Market (Pew Research)
Additional articles on the career pathways that are possible with an Arts and Sciences degree:
- You Don't Need To Be A Tech Bro To Achieve Financial Independence: Celebrate The Liberal Arts
- How I Turned My Liberal Arts Degree Into a Lucrative Career as a Product Manager
- What you can do with a Liberal Arts Degree
- Occupations of Humanities Majors with a Terminal Bachelor’s Degree
- Liberal Arts are the Best Preparation - Even for a Business Career
- Where Finance Meets Humanities - Really!
- Microsoft's President (And Head of AI) say(s) Liberal Arts Majors Are Necessary for the Future of Tech
- How A Degree In Scandinavian Mythology Can Land You A Job At One Of The Biggest Tech Companies
- Psychology and Chemistry Degrees in High Demand Among Top Consulting Firms
Get Prepared!
Finding a "good fit" career takes time and initiative. Give yourself a break and take the 1.5 cr. Career Explorations in Arts and Sciences Course.