New analysis based on New York Fed research suggests engineering degrees dominate the highest-income pathways five years after graduation, with computer engineering ranking among the top earners. The same evidence shows that many non-engineering majors—especially across liberal arts and humanities—earn substantially less in early-career outcomes. The labor-market divergence lands as broader workforce planning becomes more urgent: hiring firms and macro research are warning that major job shortages are emerging across health, teaching, engineering, and other roles, while employers struggle to find qualified candidates. For university leaders, the combined picture is a renewed pressure point on admissions and advising—aligning major selection with credential-specific demand while ensuring institutions can still support students in lower-wage but socially critical fields.