The overlooked academic fields need better outcome stories
New Eduventures research identifies Visual and Performing Arts, Psychology, Education, Social Sciences, and Physical Sciences as the next tier of admitted-student interest.
A clearer visual story can make a less obvious pathway feel real.
The Story
Encoura’s new report draws on more than 42,000 responses from high school seniors and identifies five fields just below the most prominent areas of student interest: Visual and Performing Arts, Psychology, Education, Social Sciences, and Physical Sciences. ([encoura.org](https://www.encoura.org/resources/press-room/big-five-fields/))
The report’s central communications point is strong: students in these fields are still outcomes-oriented, but their value is often expressed through human impact, community contribution, and longer-horizon careers.
For higher-ed creative direction, that means moving beyond generic employability claims. Show the pathway through people, projects, practices, and believable futures—especially where the discipline’s value is not captured by a single job title.
Studio Wensday Angle
Make indirect value visible without flattening it into a salary claim.