Why a Liberal Arts Degree from Georgia Tech Leads to a High-Paying Career

The Ivan Allen Advantage: Data shows Ivan Allen College graduates out-earn peers by combining humanities skills with a world-class technological education
 

Simran Patel’s journey from Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts undergraduate to busy professional was a bit different from that of the typical college student.

Sure, the story seems typical enough for a high-flying college student on the surface: she worked hard, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Economics, and quickly landed a high-paying job for a recent graduate.

So, what was different about her story compared to that of other college grads?

Even before Patel graduated, she was already well ahead of liberal arts peers from other Georgia universities across all majors in career readiness and earning potential — thanks to her decision to attend Georgia Tech and the Ivan Allen College (IAC).

“With IAC, there’s no catching up on learning coding or modeling, because IAC has that. There's no catching up on communications and strategic skills, because IAC has that. It's something I'm grateful for every day because I'm able to come in and do both sides of the job effectively,” said Patel (BS Econ 2024, MS Econ 2025), who works as a corporate banking analyst at Truist.

Patel's experience is a powerful example of what Dean Amanda Murdie calls the "Ivan Allen Advantage" — the unique opportunities that arise from combining a foundational and transformational liberal arts skill set with the advantages the come from studying at a world-class technological university.
 

Data Shows High Return on Investment for Ivan Allen College Graduates

Earnings statistics back her up: for every liberal arts degree offered by the College, Ivan Allen College alumni earn more throughout their lifetimes — sometimes as much as $1 million more — compared to those of more traditional liberal arts programs.

Data from Georgia’s Department of Education and Labor show that Ivan Allen College graduates students earn higher salaries safter one, five, and 10 years compared to those who received degrees from other Georgia research universities.

“There’s no STEM envy here,” Murdie said. “Your return on investment is better if you get your liberal arts degree here at Georgia Tech than if you were to go to a comparable public university program anywhere else in the state.”
 

How Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech Prepares Students for the Real World

When it comes to delivering student outcomes like this, the Georgia Tech brand surely doesn’t hurt.

Georgia Tech, ranked No. 32 among national universities by U.S. News & World Report, also ranks first in value in Georgia and third nationally in innovation.

But when it comes to liberal arts, it’s the strong humanities and social sciences foundation delivered with all the advantages of a top-ranked technological university that makes all the difference.

It’s not unusual to see Ivan Allen College students working side-by-side on research projects with students and faculty from STEM-focused programs — even as undergraduates.

Instructional quality is second to none: Ivan Allen College faculty perennially top the list of student satisfaction surveys, while many Georgia Tech alumni anecdotally report that their most cherished teacher was an Ivan Allen College instructor — even among students studying for a STEM degree.

And while it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that universities need to prepare their graduates for good jobs, our faculty also know that studying liberal arts gives Ivan Allen College graduates a sense of purpose and a mission in turbulent times.

“Whether it’s the LMC student learning to harness technology to help people better communicate; the History, Technology, and Society student learning about how technology’s past informs its future; or Public Policy or International Affairs students preparing to help build guardrails for safer use of technology, the Ivan Allen Advantage gives our students the tools they need to help protect humanity and solve our collective problems,” Murdie said.
 

A Human-Centered Approach to Technology

That philosophy — using human-centered skills to guide technological development — isn't just an abstract ideal students forget as soon as they graduate. For many graduates, it becomes a career.

Jack Conway graduated with a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction in 2024.

He said his experiences at the Ivan Allen College were unlike anything he would have gotten elsewhere — and left him sitting pretty in the job market. Conway now works for The Home Depot in user-experience design in a job category whose median wage is well above the average for all Georgia Tech graduates, according to Glassdoor.

“The research and academic-heavy approach we had in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication was critical for my start as a UX designer. I had learned more about different research methods and unique approaches to problems than I was truly expecting,” Conway said.

“I got exposure to ways of working I hadn’t considered before, which set me apart in the job market. We focused on academic and technical solutions, of course, but we also learned about real-world problem solving by working with industry partners,” he said. “Employers love to see a unique angle to their work.”
 

A Future-Proof Skillset for a Changing World

Among the many advantages an Ivan Allen College education brings — being part of a world-class research university, its location in the corporate powerhouse of Atlanta, and robust career assistance programs — one of the most important is the focus on a future-proof skill set.

"A strong liberal arts education combined with deep science and technology exposure provides a foundational and transformational skillset that helps our graduates thrive with limitless potential," Murdie says.

"In today's uncertain and rapidly changing world, logical reasoning, communication skills, creativity, and empathy are tools to help keep us grounded.”

Take, for example, Jessica Cravey (MS INTA 2024), whose educational journey highlights how Ivan Allen College graduates not only earn solid incomes, but often help lead the conversation on how technology can and should serve humanity.

When Cravey set her eyes on moving up to risk management for a global company after a decade at mid-sized firms, she knew she would need an innovative graduate education to set herself apart.

She chose the Ivan Allen College’s Sam Nunn School of International Affairs for her Master’s degree. She landed a global risk management job at a major financial institution soon after graduation.
 

Preparing Leaders for Responsible, Human-Centered Action

“The Ivan Allen College curriculum is comprehensive and rigorous, and it blends a traditional liberal arts foundation with a forward-looking emphasis on technological innovation,” she said. “That intersectional approach set it apart from more conventional programs and equipped me with the ability to analyze complex issues through both humanistic and technical lenses.”

“Sure, we studied many of the same subjects as our peers at other institutions, but what made the difference was how those subjects were framed; technology was not treated as a separate or peripheral topic.”

For instance, in one class, Cravey studied the potential weaponization of generative AI.

“Through this work, I developed a strong foundational understanding of the technology, including its capabilities, risks, and ethical considerations. Today, as companies across industries rush to integrate generative AI into their operations, I draw on that experience to help guide responsible and effective implementation.”
 

Liberal Arts at Georgia Tech: Intellectual Passion and Career Readiness

“That kind of insight wasn’t incidental,” Cravey said. “It was the product of an educational environment that championed interdisciplinary thinking and real-world relevance.”

And that is the promise of the Ivan Allen Advantage. It’s an education built on the belief that students don't have to choose between their passion for the humanities and a successful, high-impact career in a technological world.

At the Ivan Allen College, graduates walk across the stage at Commencement prepared for both.

"We want our students to both love what they do for work and be much more than their jobs," Murdie said. “Ultimately, the Ivan Allen Advantage is about giving our students an education that nurtures their intellectual passions but also provides them with the versatile, real-world skills they need to get a great job, pay the bills, and build a meaningful career.”