There's been talk in education communities about the influence of Bill Gates and his foundation on education policies, both in K-12 and higher ed.

According to a recent New York Times article, "Behind Grass-Roots School Advocacy, Bill Gates,":

My story this morning noted a new study by Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce. That center is partly funded by the Gates Foundation.

According to the Washington Post:

In a media call yesterday, the Georgetown center's director, Anthony Carnevale, echoed that thought. When asked what policy questions the new study raises, he said, in part: "What part of higher education should the public sector pay for?"

Perhaps funding should go toward the fields that result in students getting good jobs, he said.

In addition to pay, the new study notes unemployment among different fields. The highest unemployment rates came in social psychology, nuclear engineering and educational administration and supervision.

What do you make of the new study? How important were eventual earnings in picking your major? What do you think about Gates' idea of how college departments might be funded? What policy implications do you see?