re: Top 20 college majors with the highest unemployment rates

When you go for a very specialized engineering degree like petroleum engineering or material science you kind of limit your options and make yourself susceptible to the whims of that particular industry. On the plus side though, if you become a recognized expert in a field you become invaluable.

I just went the generic mechanical engineering route, and no masters. Starting pay wasn’t as high as some of the guys with specializations, but I’ve also had way more flexibility than them in terms of career options. I’ve done everything from design work to manufacturing to project lifecycle management, but I’ve never been unemployed or laid off.