Field representatives of the U.S. Census Bureau will visit 45,000 households nationwide beginning in June to answer this question: what is the most popular field of study beyond high school?

The last time this measure was published — for 1996 — the results showed that business was the most popular, as 7.5 million people had bachelor’s degrees in this field. The average monthly earnings of employed people age 18 and over with bachelor’s degrees in business was $3,962.

“It is important that those selected for the Survey of Income and Program Participation respond because the results of the survey will enable policy-makers to address a multitude of critical issues,” said James Holmes, director of the Census Bureau’s Atlanta regional office. “Among these are how many and how frequently people have lapses in their health insurance; the characteristics of people with disabilities; the presence of health-care provisions in child support agreements; and whether more people enter or exit poverty during a given year.”

The survey also will track changes in the type of work people perform, their educational level and whether they are actively looking for work. Respondents also may be asked about other topics such as the field of study their post-secondary degree was in, marital history, retirement and pension-plan coverage, child-care arrangements, payments made for adults living in another household or an institution (such as an elderly parent in a nursing home), doctor’s visits, the cost of work-related expenses and fertility history. Since the survey is designed to measure change over time, the households that are selected will remain in the survey through 2008.

By law, the Census Bureau keeps all information given by survey respondents and their households confidential. Households selected for the survey will receive a letter from Census Bureau Director Louis Kincannon. The field representatives who conduct the interviews carry official photo identification cards. Most of the follow-up interviews will be conducted by telephone.

June 2004

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