Students typically choose their major based on economic factors.

It's important to also explore majors that reflect personal values and traits.

Demand for different academic majors will vary according to industry growth.

Students can supplement their major by pursuing a minor field of study.

Choosing a major field of study can be a difficult decision. In fact, 61% of college graduates would change their major if they could go back to school.

Today's college students are encouraged to weigh several factors before choosing an area of focus for a four-year degree program. Important considerations include:

overall program cost

salary expectations

employment rates in the field

advanced degree opportunities

Ultimately, students must decide which field will offer the best return-on-investment for their postsecondary education.

This comprehensive guide uses measured student outcomes, job market statistics, and other higher education data to explore the various benefits and drawbacks of the nation's most popular undergraduate major subjects.

Our goal is to provide a helpful resource for students who are unsure about which major is the best choice for them financially, professionally, and personally.

Trends in College Majors

Changing Majors

According to a recent report from the University of La Verne, roughly half of all college freshmen enter college undecided about their major. Additionally, as many as 70% will change their major at least once during the course of their four-year degree program; the majority of these students change their major at least three times.

Many students worry that changing their major will delay graduation and, as a result, significantly increase their overall tuition costs. However, a study at Western Kentucky University found that shifting major fields had a "minimal impact" on planned graduation times. Furthermore, the data showed that full-time students who changed majors at least once reported higher graduation rates than those who remained in the same field for their entire bachelor's program.

Most Popular Majors

Students typically choose their major based on career-related factors, such as job availability and employment rates in their proposed field. The following table lists the most popular majors among today's college graduates; the data was originally published in a report from Georgetown University titled, 'The Economic Value of College Majors.'

Majors With the Highest Employment Rate

Employment rates will differ between professionals who enter the workforce with a bachelor's degree and those who go on to earn a master's or other advanced credential. Studies have also found that employment rates varied between new graduates and bachelor's degree-holders with multiple years of professional experience. The following table from Georgetown's 'Hard Times' report shows unemployment rates for new bachelor's graduates, experienced bachelor's graduates and master's degree-holders:

Happiest Majors

College alumni can be a helpful source of information for students who are exploring different areas of study or considering a change in their major focus. These individuals offer valuable insights about their major for both current students and job-seekers.

A recent poll by Payscale found that degree-holding alumni generally recommended majors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields; other areas with high approval ratings included business, accounting and finance, nursing and health care management. Alternatively, majors related to the arts, humanities and social sciences held low approval ratings among college alumni.

Additionally, the following table shows Payscale's alumni recommendation ratings (%) for 25 of the most popular college majors:

Choosing a Major: Economic Factors

Every student uses a different set of criteria to determine their major field of study. The questions below help students consider majors based on earning potential.

What's your priority? Some students pursue certain majors based on financial earning and benefits potential. Others focus less on salaries and more on launching a fun, meaningful in a career that interests and engages them while some choose to earn an advanced degree after graduation.

Which Fields Have the Most Earning Power?

Georgetown's 'The Economic Value of College Majors' report noted that roughly 80% of today's incoming college freshmen ultimately choose a major based on potential salary and benefits. The study also found that the average median annual salary across bachelor's graduates in all majors was $33,000 for employees 21-25; additionally, the median earnings for high school graduates with no college education was $22,000. For employees aged 25-59, the median annual salary was $60,000 for all bachelor's degree-holders and $36,000 for those with a high school diploma and no college.

The following table shows the median annual salaries for college graduates aged 21-25 and 25-59 in the 15 major subgroups.

Median Annual Wages of College-Educated Workers By Major Group (2013)

Which Careers Pay the Highest/Lowest Salaries?

Generally speaking, careers in medicine, business administration and STEM-related fields offered the highest annual salaries; meanwhile, careers in social sciences, arts and humanities paid the lowest wages. A report from FiveThirtyEight found that the following 10 positions were the national leaders in median annual earnings among recent graduates. Please note that all but one of these positions is in a STEM field, and that eight of them are concentrated in engineering.

Highest Median Annual Earnings Ranked by Sub-Major (2014)

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Petroleum Engineer Major Subgroup: Architecture and Engineering

Number of Majors: 2,339

Median Annual Salary: $110,000 Mining and Mineral Engineering Major Subgroup: Architecture and Engineering

Number of Majors: 756

Median Annual Salary: $110,000 Metallurgical Engineering Major Subgroup: Architecture and Engineering

Number of Majors: 856

Median Annual Salary: $73,000 Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Major Subgroup: Architecture and Engineering

Number of Majors: 1,258

Median Annual Salary: $70,000 Chemical Engineering Major Subgroup: Architecture and Engineering

Number of Majors: 32,260

Median Annual Salary: $65,000 Nuclear Engineering Major Subgroup: Architecture and Engineering

Number of Majors: 2,573

Median Annual Salary: $65,000 Actuarial Science Major Subgroup: Business

Number of Majors: 3,777

Median Annual Salary: $62,000 Astronomy and Astrophysics Major Subgroup: Physical Sciences

Number of Majors: 1,792

Median Annual Salary: $62,000 Mechanical Engineering Major Subgroup: Architecture and Engineering

Number of Majors: 91,227

Median Annual Salary: $60,000 Electrical Engineering Major Subgroup: Architecture and Engineering

Number of Majors: 81,527

Median Annual Salary: $60,000

Alternatively, the following table lists FiveThirtyEight's 10 lowest paying professional roles in terms of median annual salary for newly graduated students. In contrast to the first table, only one of the following positions is related to STEM-related studies.

Lowest Median Annual Earnings Ranked by Sub-Major (2014)

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Library Science Major Subgroup: Education

Number of Majors: 1,098

Median Annual Salary: $22,000 Counseling Psychology Major Subgroup: Psychology and Social Work

Number of Majors: 4,626

Median Annual Salary: $23,400 Clinical Psychology Major Subgroup: Psychology and Social Work

Number of Majors: 2,838

Median Annual Salary: $25,000 Educational Psychology Major Subgroup: Psychology and Social Work

Number of Majors: 2,854

Median Annual Salary: $25,000 Zoology Major Subgroup: Biology and Life Sciences

Number of Majors: 8,409

Median Annual Salary: $26,000 Composition and Rhetoric Major Subgroup: Humanities and Liberal Arts

Number of Majors: 18,953

Median Annual Salary: $27,000 Drama and Theater Arts Major Subgroup: Arts

Number of Majors: 43,249

Median Annual Salary: $27,000 Foreign Languages Major Subgroup: Humanities and Liberal Arts

Number of Majors: 11,204

Median Annual Salary: $27,500 Early Childhood Education Major Subgroup: Education

Number of Majors: 37,589

Median Annual Salary: $28,000 Communication Disorders Science and Services Major Subgroup: Health

Number of Majors: 38,279

Median Annual Salary: $28,000

Choosing a Major: Personality

Today's students are encouraged to find a major and corresponding career that reflects their personality and work habits. A 2013 nationwide survey of outgoing high school seniors found that 36% planned on majoring in a field that was a "good fit" for their interests, while nearly one-third planned to choose a major that was a "poor fit". However, many education experts believe that students perform better at the college level when they are passionate about their major subject(s).

Which profession best matches my personality? Self-assessment usually narrows your prospective choices considerably. Delving into the various majors still under consideration can help you further hone in on the right program.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test enables students to determine subjects that closely align with their personal interests. MBTI uses habits and attitudes to generate algorithmic individual profiles for men and women. This test plays an integral role in today's corporate culture. According to a report from The Boston Globe, hiring managers at roughly 80% of Fortune 500 Companies use the Ariel-Briggs formula to study the personalities of job applicants and decide which candidate is the best fit for a given position.

Myers-Briggs categorizes individuals using eight distinct personal preferences that can be combined to create 16 different personality types. Each preference is assigned a unique letter of the alphabet. The eight preferences are as follows:

Interaction:

Extroverts (E) prefer to interact with others in the outer world, while Introverts (I) tend to focus on their own inner worlds.

Information:

Some individuals prefer to process information through Sensing (S), or basic analysis, while others lean toward Intuition (N) in order to interpret and define information they encounter.

Decisions:

Some tend to make decisions based on logic and objectivity; this is known in Myers-Briggs as Thinking (T). Others make decisions on a case-by-case basis, also known as Feeling (F).

Structure:

Some individuals prefer Judging (J), or using a set of rules to inform how they process information and experiences. Others lean toward Perceiving (P), or keeping an open mind when it comes to information and experiences.

ENFP

"The Champion" INFP

"The Healer" INFJ

"The Counselor" ENFJ

"The Teacher" ENTP

"The Visionary" INTP

"The Architect" ENTJ

"The Commander" INTJ

"The Mastermind" ESFJ

"The Provider" ESTJ

"The Supervisor" ISFJ

"The Protector" ISTJ

"The Inspector" ESFP

"The Performer" ESTP

"The Promoter" ISFP

"The Composer" ISTP

"The Crafter"

Source: Ball State University

Each of the 16 Myers-Briggs Personality Types includes one preference from each of the four groups listed above. For example, ENTJ types are typically extroverted individuals who lean on intuition, thinking and judging when it comes to everyday decisions and interactions. A study by the Ball State University Career Center named specific majors that are conducive to all 16 MBTI types. The table below lists all 16 types and a sampling of Ball State's suggested major subgroups.

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ENFP Possible Majors Arts

Education

Humanities and Liberal Arts

Psychology and Social Work ENFJ Possible Majors Business

Communications and Journalism

Psychology and Social Work

Social Sciences ENTJ Possible Majors Business

Education

Health

Law and Public Policy ENTP Possible Majors Architecture and Engineering

Business

Computer, Statistics and Mathematics

Physical Sciences ESFJ Possible Majors Education

Health

Psychology and Social Work

Social Sciences ESFP Possible Majors Education

Health

Law and Public Policy

Social Sciences ESTJ Possible Majors Architecture and Engineering

Computer, Statistics and Mathematics

Law and Public Policy

Physical Sciences ESTP Possible Majors Arts

Business

Communications and Journalism

Industrial Arts, Consumer Services and Recreation

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INFJ Possible Majors Agriculture and Natural Resources

Architecture and Engineering

Education

Psychology and Social Work INFP Possible Majors Agriculture and Natural Resources

Architecture and Engineering

Communications and Journalism

Social Sciences INTJ Possible Majors Agriculture and Natural Resources

Architecture and Engineering

Computer, Statistics and Mathematics

Industrial Arts, Consumer Services and Recreation INTP Possible Majors Architecture and Engineering

Business

Computer, Statistics and Mathematics

Physical Sciences ISFJ Possible Majors Arts

Education

Health

Psychology and Social Work ISFP Possible Majors Agriculture and Natural Resources

Arts

Education

Social Sciences ISTJ Possible Majors Biology and Life Sciences

Communications and Journalism

Health

Psychology and Social Work ISTP Possible Majors Architecture and Engineering

Business

Computer, Statistics and Mathematics

Health

Which Majors are Most Likely to Lead to Advanced Degree? Roughly one-third of bachelor's program graduates will go on to earn a graduate degree. However, advanced credentials are more common in certain academic fields than others. Some majors are encouraged to earn a master's degree or ph.D. in order to fulfill the necessary educational requirements of their profession and compete with other qualified candidates in the job market. For others, post-bachelor's education may prove to be an unnecessary investment that forces students to incur more tuition debt without improving their standing in the current workforce. 'The Economic Value of College Majors' includes a comprehensive list of more than 130 specific majors ranked by the percentage of students who go on to earn an advanced degree. We've categorized each of these majors using the 15 major subgroups above and calculated an overall average for each subgroup. These findings are listed in the table below. Please note: some specific majors were counted for more than one major subgroup. For instance, 'Geological and Geophysical Engineering' was counted in both the Architecture/Engineering and Physical Sciences subgroups.

Which Majors are Most in-Demand?

The demand for academic majors in different subjects will vary with hiring trends, industry growth and other employment factors. According to CareerBuilder, students who earn degrees in business and STEM-related fields are considered the most in-demand as far as employers are concerned. The table below lists the 10 most in-demand majors and the percentage of current employers who hire these graduates, according to CareerBuilder data:

Most Expensive Majors

Students can determine the overall expense of a bachelor's program by calculating the degree's return-on-investment, or ROI. This figure represents the total cost of a four-year program (tuition, fees, books and all other expenses) subtracted from the degree recipient's career earnings.

Salary.com recently determined the college major subjects with the best and worst ROIs for professionals over 30-year careers. Their calculations factored in average tuition costs at public and private universities, median annual salaries and per-year increases in inflation and cost-of-living. Salary.com's findings used three sample careers for each major. Their findings for majors with best (left) and worst ROI (right) are featured in the table below; ROIs for public and private college graduates are both included. Please note that ROIs in each major differ by specific careers; for this reason, the best and worst lists are not ranked.

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Math Sample Careers: Actuary II, Operations Research Analysis Manager, Accounts Payable/ Receivable Manager

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 153.0%; Private: 46.3% Information Technology (IT) Sample Careers: Web Applications Developer, Business Intelligence Specialist, IT Manager

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 155.7%; Private: 47% Human Resources Sample Careers: Compensation & Benefits Manager, Recruiting Manager, Human Resources Manager

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 141.7%; Private: 42.7% Economics Sample Careers: Economist, Financial Associate II, Investment Operations Manager

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 192.7%; Private: 58.3% Biology Sample Careers: Laboratory Manager, Clinical Research Associate II, Health & Safety Supervisor

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 120.7%; Private: 36% Engineering Sample Careers: Chemical Engineer II, Mechanical Engineer II, Electrical Engineering Supervisor II

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 124.7%; Private: 37.7% Marketing Sample Careers: Marketing Manager, Product/Brand Manager, Public Relations Manager

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 138.7%; Private: 42% English Sample Careers: Speech Writer, Communications Manager, Web Content Manager

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 128.7%; Private: 39% Sociology Sample Careers: Social Worker, Corrections Officer, Chemical Dependency Counselor

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 69%; Private: 20% Fine Arts Sample Careers: Museum Research Worker, Graphic Designer, Painter/ Illustrator

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 69%; Private: 20.3% Education Sample Careers: Daycare Center Teacher, Elementary School Teacher, High School Teacher

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 70%; Private: 20.7% Religious Studies/Theology Sample Careers: Religious Educator, Chaplain – Healthcare, Associate Pastor

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 83.7%; Private: 25% Hospitality/Tourism Sample Careers: Meeting/ Event Planner, Hotel Resident Manager, Catering Manager

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 85%; Private: 25.3% Nutrition Sample Careers: Dietician, Food Services Manager, Food Scientist

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 91%; Private: 27.3% Psychology Sample Careers: Human Services Worker, Career Counselor - Higher Education, Bereavement Coordinator

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 61.3%; Private: 18% Communications Sample Careers: Copywriter, News Reporter, Marketing Coordinator

Average ROI for Sample Careers (%): Public: 73%; Private: 21.3%

Workload and Majors Before declaring a major, students should research their field of choice to determine how rigorous the workload will be for a four-year program. A study by the National Survey of Student Engagement recently calculated the weekly workload of some of the most popular major fields. The study looked at reading demands and course requirements (i.e. assignments and exam prep) on a weekly basis, as well as pages of assigned writing per year. The NSSE's findings (ranked alphabetically by major group) are featured in the table below:

Create Your Own Major According to USA Today, this interdisciplinary option typically requires the student to write a proposal, present their major to faculty members and curate advisors to provide academic assistance throughout the course of the program. The 'Individualized Studies' option at the University of Washington is one prominent example of this alternative degree pathway. Enrich Your Studies with a Minor Students can supplement their bachelor's credential by pursuing a minor in addition to their major program. Minor fields of study typically require four to eight courses in an area of study that is different from the student's major. According to New York Times contributor Michelle Slatalla, most students choose a minor that will either "complement or counterbalance" their major. A creative writing major might minor in literature, while a business major may pursue a minor in finance or accounting. Students may also minor in a foreign language in order to boost their hireability on the global market.

Students today are not limited Students today are not limited to one major field of study when it comes to choosing their degree pathway. Many learning institutions allow students to create hybrid or specialized degrees that incorporate multiple major fields.

Multiple Majors

Students are not necessarily limited to one major field of study. Most granting institutions allow students to 'double-major' in certain fields, and some even offer 'triple-major' options. A 2012 Vanderbilt University study found that many students who double-majored chose a foreign language as one of their major fields. Other popular combinations included business and economics; political science and philosophy; engineering and computer science; and biology and psychology.

Online Schooling

In recent years, online education has emerged as a hugely popular alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar learning. A report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that 5.4 million U.S. college students -- or one in four -- enrolled in at least one web-based course in the Fall 2012 semester. As the demand has grown year-to-year, more degree-granting institutions have begun to offer web-based courses for students. These programs allow students to access course materials, watch/listen to lectures, complete assignments and take exams from the comfort of their home computer. This option is especially attractive to students with full-time jobs, childcare obligations or other commitments that prevent them from studying on a college campus. Online learning also tends to be more cost-effective, since students do not have to pay for room and board, meal plans and other fees associated with on-campus living.

Starting with an Associates of Arts Degree

An associate degree is given to undergraduate students who successfully complete two years of coursework. Earning an associate credential at an accredited community or technical college can be a cost-effective option, since most (if not all) course credits will be transferable to a bachelor's program and the tuition at these institutions tend to be more affordable than public universities or private colleges. Certain schools offer specialized associate degrees in fields like computer science, nursing and education. However, the bulk of earners go on to pursue a bachelor's degree.

College Credit for Life Experience

Some students earn credit through professional experience by sitting for exams that test subject-related competencies. More than 2,900 accredited colleges and universities offer the College Level Examination Program, which awards course credit for those who pass an experience-based exam. Five basic CLEP exams are available in English composition, college mathematics, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, with an additional 28 exams in specific subjects.

The DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) are another option for earning experienced-based credit. The DSST tests in 38 different areas related to business, humanities, math, physical sciences and social sciences; the cost is $80 per exam.

Last Updated: March 04, 2020

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