The author of this article, Charles Murray, is best known for writing "The Bell Curve", which argued that biological factors determine intelligence, and intelli

The author of this article, Charles Murray, is best known for writing "The Bell Curve", which argued that biological factors determine intelligence, and intelligence determines success. I don't agree with his premise that only 10% of university students are innately capable of a hard-science curriculum. Intelligence is just a coefficient to effort. Being a genius certainly helps, but most people could get through a science or engineering program if they were willing to put in the work. OTOH, he is correct that BA degrees have little relevance in the modern economy. They persist as a relic from the role liberal-arts colleges played before WW2 in conferring educational pedigrees on upper-class men. Higher education is much more egalitarian today, but we're still aping the educational practices of that era. As a general rule, I don't think anyone should spend the time or money on a degree that they aren't going to use after graduation.