Of course, choice of major is not the only way to increase your chances of reaching the 1 percent, if that is your goal. There is also the sector you choose. A separate analysis of census data on occupations showed that one in eight lawyers, for example, are in the 1 percent — unless they work for a Wall Street firm, when their chances increase to one in three. Among chief executives, fewer than one in five rank among the 1 percent, but their chances increase if the company produces medical supplies (one in four) or drugs (two in five). Hollywood writers? One in nine are 1 percenters. Television or radio writers? One in 14. Newspaper writers and editors? One in 62.
| Undergraduate Degree | Total | % Who Are 1 Percenters | Share of All 1 Percenters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health and Medical Preparatory Programs | 142,345 | 11.8% | 0.9% |
| Economics | 1,237,863 | 8.2% | 5.4% |
| Biochemical Sciences | 193,769 | 7.2% | 0.7% |
| Zoology | 159,935 | 6.9% | 0.6% |
| Biology | 1,864,666 | 6.7% | 6.6% |
| International Relations | 146,781 | 6.7% | 0.5% |
| Political Science and Government | 1,427,224 | 6.2% | 4.7% |
| Physiology | 98,181 | 6.0% | 0.3% |
| Art History and Criticism | 137,357 | 5.9% | 0.4% |
| Chemistry | 780,783 | 5.7% | 2.4% |
| Molecular Biology | 64,951 | 5.6% | 0.2% |
| Area, Ethnic and Civilization Studies | 184,906 | 5.2% | 0.5% |
| Finance | 1,071,812 | 4.8% | 2.7% |
| History | 1,351,368 | 4.7% | 3.3% |
| Business Economics | 108,146 | 4.6% | 0.3% |
| Miscellaneous Psychology | 61,257 | 4.3% | 0.1% |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | 448,095 | 4.3% | 1.0% |
| Microbiology | 147,954 | 4.2% | 0.3% |
| Chemical Engineering | 347,959 | 4.1% | 0.8% |
| Physics | 346,455 | 4.1% | 0.7% |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration | 334,016 | 3.9% | 0.7% |
| Accounting | 2,296,601 | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| Mathematics | 840,137 | 3.9% | 1.7% |
| English Language and Literature | 1,938,988 | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Miscellaneous Biology | 52,895 | 3.7% | 0.1%
|