Field of Bachelor's Degree by city/county

[Docere]

Here's the US as a whole. This is for all bachelor's degree holders including those who have gone to do advanced degrees.


Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 5%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 6.5%
Physical Sciences 3%
Psychology 5.1%
Social Sciences 8%
Engineering 7.7%
Multidisciplinary Studies 0.9%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 9.9%*
Business 19.5%
Education 10.7%
Literature and Languages 4.3%
Liberal Arts and History 4.8%
Visual and Performing Arts 4.3%
Communications 4.2%
Other 6.1%

[Docere]

NYC (2,695,240)

Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 5.4%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 4%
Physical Sciences 2.4%
Psychology 5.8%
Social Sciences 12.6%
Engineering 5.4%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 7.9%
Business 18%
Education 6.7%
Literature and Languages 6.4%
Liberal Arts and History 6.3%
Visual and Performing Arts 9.2%
Communications 5%
Other 4.1%

Manhattan (878,159)

Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 5.1%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 4.3%
Physical Sciences 2%
Psychology 5.9%
Social Sciences 16.2%
Engineering 4.6%
Multidisciplinary Studies 0.9%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 4.5%
Business 17.5%
Education 3.7%
Literature and Languages 8.1%
Liberal Arts and History 7.7%
Visual and Performing Arts 10.7%
Communications 6.2%
Other 2.6%

Brooklyn (848,304)

Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 5.5%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 3.8%
Physical Sciences 2.2%
Psychology 4.7%
Social Sciences 12.4%
Engineering 5.8%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1.1%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 7.7%
Business 16%
Education 6.9%
Literature and Languages 6.9%
Liberal Arts and History 5.9%
Visual and Performing Arts 11.7%
Communications 5.3%
Other 3.9%

[Docere]

Los Angeles (1,129,655)

Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 4%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 5.1%
Physical Sciences 2.1%
Psychology 5.7%
Social Sciences 12%
Engineering 6.3%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1.1%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 7%
Business 15.7%
Education 4.4%
Literature and Languages 6.4%
Liberal Arts and History 5.7%
Visual and Performing Arts 12.7%
Communications 8.1%
Other 3.7%

Chicago (903,491)

Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 5.2%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 5.1%
Physical Sciences 2.3%
Psychology 5.1%
Social Sciences 10.3%
Engineering 6.5%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1.1%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 8.5%
Business 19.4%
Education 6.8%
Literature and Languages 5.9%
Liberal Arts and History 5.3%
Visual and Performing Arts 7%
Communications 6.8%
Other 4.7%

San Francisco (440,096)

Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 8.7%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 7.8%
Physical Sciences 2.3%
Psychology 5.4%
Social Sciences 13.8%
Engineering 9.4%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1.2%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 7.1%
Business 15.2%
Education 2.8%
Literature and Languages 6.6%
Liberal Arts and History 5.7%
Visual and Performing Arts 6.3%
Communications 4.5%
Other 3%

Seattle (431,669)

Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 9.5%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 8.8%
Physical Sciences 3.8%
Psychology 4.1%
Social Sciences 12.9%
Engineering 10.6%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1.8%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 7.2%
Business 11.4%
Education 4.2%
Literature and Languages 6.7%
Liberal Arts and History 5.2%
Visual and Performing Arts 6.8%
Communications 4.3%
Other 2.5%

Washington DC (356,687)

Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 4.3%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 4.3%
Physical Sciences 2.3%
Psychology 4.3%
Social Sciences 26.3%
Engineering 5.1%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 5.8%
Business 11.9%
Education 3%
Literature and Languages 8.5%
Liberal Arts and History 8.1%
Visual and Performing Arts 4.2%
Communications 6.6%
Other 4.1%

Boston (270,718)

Computers, Mathematics and Statistics 4%
Biological, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences 9.3%
Physical Sciences 2.8%
Psychology 4.6%
Social Sciences 13.5%
Engineering 8.3%
Multidisciplinary Studies 0.6%
Science and Engineering Related Fields 8.6%
Business 15.6%
Education 4.4%
Literature and Languages 6.1%
Liberal Arts and History 6%
Visual and Performing Arts 6%
Communications 5.2%
Other 5%

[plinko]

So I suppose Architecture is under 'Science and Engineering Related Fields' or 'Other'?

[dave8721]

Interesting that fields like education are very under-represented in these cities. Basically showing that teachers can't afford to live there and have to commute. Education is over 10% nationally but closer to 3% in most of these cities.

[Docere]

It's partly that, but also has to do with the sheer number of teachers and their dispersal across the country. Of college-educated professionals, teachers are the most numerous. Plus every little town has schools and teachers. Teachers are obviously going to make up a larger proportion of the college-educated population in a town of 20,000 with 20% college graduates than in a major city where there's universities and colleges, a tech industry, arts and culture etc.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by dave8721

Interesting that fields like education are very under-represented in these cities. Basically showing that teachers can't afford to live there and have to commute. Education is over 10% nationally but closer to 3% in most of these cities.

Interestingly, Chicago seems to be a little bit higher on education degrees than most of its peers.

I imagine that the city's residency requirement for all government employees, including all CPS teachers, to live within city limits might be skewing things a bit in regard to that.

[dave8721]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

Interestingly, Chicago seems to be a little bit higher on education degrees than most of its peers.

I imagine that the city's residency requirement for all government employees, including all CPS teachers, to live within city limits might be skewing things a bit in regard to that.

And that Chicago is much more affordable for someone on a teachers salary than New York, Seattle or SF.

[Docere]

Note that this is field of bachelor's degree. Many teachers have bachelor's degrees in other subjects and master's-level certification. Though obviously most education majors are teachers.

[homebucket]

I took the liberty to combine all the STEM related majors, and reorder the fields from greatest to least common, so the data would be more digestible. I also greened which cities were leaders of their particular fields, and redded whichever ones they ranked last in.

Note that Seattle and DC were the only two metros that did not have STEM + Business as the top 2 fields. Seattle's was STEM + Social Sciences, whereas DC is Social Sciences + STEM (the only metro where STEM was not first).

NYC (2,695,240)
STEM 25.1%
Business 18%
Social Sciences 12.6%
Visual and Performing Arts 9.2%
Education 6.7%
Literature and Languages 6.4%
Liberal Arts and History 6.3%
Psychology 5.8%
Communications 5%
Other 4.1%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1%

Los Angeles (1,129,655)
STEM 24.5%
Business 15.7%
Visual and Performing Arts 12.7%
Social Sciences 12%
Communications 8.1%
Literature and Languages 6.4%
Liberal Arts and History 5.7%
Psychology 5.7%
Education 4.4%
Other 3.7%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1.1%

Chicago (903,491)
STEM 27.6%
Business 19.4%
Social Sciences 10.3%
Visual and Performing Arts 7%
Education 6.8%
Communications 6.8%
Literature and Languages 5.9%
Liberal Arts and History 5.3%
Psychology 5.1%
Other 4.7%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1.1%

San Francisco (440,096)
STEM 35.3%
Business 15.2%
Social Sciences 13.8%
Literature and Languages 6.6%
Visual and Performing Arts 6.3%
Liberal Arts and History 5.7%
Psychology 5.4%
Communications 4.5%
Other 3%
Education 2.8%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1.2%

Seattle (431,669)
STEM 39.9%
Social Sciences 12.9%
Business 11.4%
Visual and Performing Arts 6.8%
Literature and Languages 6.7%
Liberal Arts and History 5.2%
Communications 4.3%
Education 4.2%
Psychology 4.1%
Other 2.5%
Multidisciplinary Studies 1.8%

Washington DC (356,687)
Social Sciences 26.3%
STEM 21.8%
Business 11.9%
Literature and Languages 8.5%
Liberal Arts and History 8.1%
Communications 6.6%
Psychology 4.3%
Visual and Performing Arts 4.2%
Other 4.1%
Education 3%

Boston (270,718)
STEM 33%
Business 15.6%
Social Sciences 13.5%
Literature and Languages 6.1%
Liberal Arts and History 6%
Visual and Performing Arts 6%
Communications 5.2%
Other 5%
Psychology 4.6%
Education 4.4%
Multidisciplinary Studies 0.6%

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by dave8721

And that Chicago is much more affordable for someone on a teachers salary than New York, Seattle or SF.

Yes, that too

But affordability aside, I don't think any of those other cities have a city worker residency requirement like Chicago does.

CPS is the 2nd largest employer in Chicago (after the federal government), and every single one of its employees is required by law to live within the municipal limits of the city of Chicago, so I wasn't at all surprised to see Chicago a bit higher on education degrees.

[Docere]

I'd separate out life sciences (mostly medicine/health) and computers/engineering/physical sciences. "STEM" is too broad a category IMO and most of the time people really have high tech in mind anyway.

Liberal arts and literature/languages could be put together in the humanities.

[Double L]

Harris County (Houston, Texas) 34% of Harris County residents have a bachelor’s degree.

https://hcoed.harriscountytx.gov/doc...d_of_Study.pdf

https://bestneighborhood.org/educati...ris-county-tx/

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Docere

Note that this is field of bachelor's degree. Many teachers have bachelor's degrees in other subjects and master's-level certification. Though obviously most education majors are teachers.

I knew a guy with a degree in physics but only ever taught high school science and was never actually a physicist...mainly because hever went on to grad school. I have another friend who is a post-doc level molecular biologist but just retired after teaching HS biology for the past 20 years.