Asian American College Major Choice: Median Salary Information Intervention and Analysis of Six Key Influence Categories

ABSTRACT: This study examines how six influence categories and 18 factors affect the college major selection process among Asian American students. Rising sophomores at US colleges (N=150) were asked to indicate their top major choices and estimate corresponding average median salaries. After an informational intervention (reviewing actual median salary data by major), students updated their choices, and 46% selected new majors. Students stack ranked the importance of six influence categories: their own interests in the major, characteristics intrinsic to the major, information about the major, family, college, and high school factors. 18 specific factors, including median salary data, social media, YouTube, parents, siblings, and grandparents, were rated on a 5-point Likert scale on their importance to the major selection process. Results indicated that Asian American students estimated the median salaries more accurately and were less influenced by high school factors, books and articles, grandparents, and family friends. A Probit regression model showed that the Bankrate median salary data was significant in predicting the likelihood of switching majors post informational intervention. A linear regression model showed that two categories—the own interests in the major and characteristics intrinsic to the major—and three factors—the median salary data, YouTube, and books—were statistically significant in estimating the top choice major’s actual median salary, while parents and siblings were not. KEYWORDS: college major, Asian American, informational intervention, median salaries, YouTube