Great Social Media Idea: Showcasing Outcomes

We all know that higher ed is in a bit of a slow burn crisis mode. Lots of people smarter than me debate about whether or not the sky is falling for higher ed or not, but there's no denying that everyone is now taking a much closer look at the cost of college and questioning the value of a high-priced education.

With student debt at record highs, job prospects for young people still lagging far behind the economic recovery, and the rise of MOOCs, colleges - especially liberal arts schools, who unfairly get a bad rap for offering "useless" majors (I was an English major thankyouverymuch, and look where I am now... writing a crummy blog for free!) - have to do a lot more work to prove that attending college is still worth it. 

This is crucial work for everyone working in higher ed marketing, and Smith College just offered a terrific example of a way to present this information in a fun, informational, and engaging way. Check out this incredible infographic, which shows the results of a recent survey of graduates and shows what they majored in (on the left) and the careers they currently have (on the right). This screen shot doesn't do it justice... the graphic is interactive, so you should definitely go check it out on Smith's website.

So freaking awesome, right? Right!

The technical wizardry required to make the graphic interactive is well beyond me, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate how cool it is and how good a job it does of showing the variety of occupations and how even people majoring in "soft" majors in the humanities can end up in really diverse and exciting careers.

Best of all, when it was posted on Facebook earlier today it elicited a lot of really tremendous comments from proud alumnae, sharing their college majors and current jobs. Just look how great this is:

You'll be hard pressed to find more glowing comments from people who are clearly thankful for their college experience and proud of the careers it helped lead them to. This is GOLD... not only for social engagement, but as first-hand testimonials to show to prospective students and parents, showing that attending college is still very much worth it.

Well done, Smith!