The Road Not Taken — Closeread demo

You pick a major. Rewind to 18 and walk two roads twenty years — Computer Science, and the road not taken: English.

Who you become. A Computer Science graduate most often ends up a Software Developer or Systems Manager — and the typical one earns $93,475.

The road not taken. The English graduate most often becomes a Secondary School Teacher — typical pay $46,143. Same four years, half the paycheck.

How wide is the road? Computer Science branches into 11 occupations. English, just 2. One road keeps its options open; the other narrows fast.

Was it worth it? Against the debt, Computer Science pays for itself in 1.5 years. English? 64 years — on these numbers, barely at all.

Twenty years on. Stack it up: the CS road totals about $2.4M, the English road about $1.2M. A whole house, between two majors. But money was never the only road. (The data can only show the trade.)

Computer Science

Most become · Software Developer Typical pay · $93,475 Roads open · 11 Pays back in · 1.5 yr

English

Most become · Secondary Teacher Typical pay · $46,143 Roads open · 2 Pays back in · 64 yr

Computer Science → 11 occupations English → 2 occupations

CS pays back in 1.5 yr · English in 64 yr

20-year earnings — CS $2.4M vs English $1.2M