Abstract

GAMBOA GARCIA, José. Financial Expectations in Degrees with Poor Prospects: The Cases of Agronomic Engineering and Forest Engineering. REDIE [online]. 2016, vol.18, n.3, pp.65-80. ISSN 1607-4041.

A quantitative methodology is used to research earning expectations in students in higher education. Data was analyzed from a questionnaire given to students from two agricultural degrees with a bleak economic outlook (agronomic engineering and forest engineering). Rational Choice Theory (RCT) was used to study financial expectations and compare them to the income of graduates. It was found that expectated revenue was much higher than current earnings and students do not appear to have actively searched for information – as posited by the RCT – as data on professionals' income is freely accessible online. Students failed to capitalize on suitable sources of information, such as professionals they were close to. A mismatch exists between students' earning expectations and the reality of the labor market.

Keywords : Returns to education; higher education; wages.