The Most Popular College Majors to Watchout For

Choosing a college major is an essential step in your academic life. Because figuring out what you want to study in your college is a step towards determining a professional career. Therefore, it is perfectly okay to feel anxious about making this decision. The right field of study offers peace of mind and academic freedom. Hence, you can translate your passion into practice, work on your chosen major, learn skills, and put yourself on the track of accomplishing career success in the future. It is common for people to choose the wrong major and suffer through their college days. Therefore, you must carry out extensive research about majors when you are about to enter your college.

Career success and development prospects are essential aspects to consider. Some careers are known to offer better salaries and career development prospects than others. The most practical way to get information about multiple college majors according to your interest and select them based on set criteria is to search online. Before we go into the list of majors you can opt for in your college, here are some questions you must consider for choosing a major.

• Is It Offered Online?

During the pandemic, online study has become a popular option. So, if you have become comfortable with it and want to continue studying online, ensure that your chosen subjectis offered online. This is even more important for people who intend to continue working alongside a degree program. For instance, if you’re opting for a social degree, search online with the help of relevant keywords. Do some research, and you’ll find online social work degrees like MSW online no GRE. These programs are more accessible and easier to handle alongside other responsibilities.

• Does It Offer Attractive Career Prospects?

At the end of your degree, your goal is to get an excellent job with an attractive salary package. Therefore, search for the average yearly salary and employment trends of your shortlisted major. You can find websites where you will know about the median salary of all majors and occupations.

Some college majors lead to jobs that offer good salaries and growth prospects because they have abundant opportunities. In contrast, others make it challenging to land a good job. Such information is critical to gauge your career success. You can also opt for majors such as Business, Social Work, Communication, etc., that equip you with multiple soft and practical skills needed in various industries.

Most Popular College Majors

In 2018-19, 2 million bachelor’s degrees were awarded to students. About 58% of these degrees were awarded to students opting for majors in six fields of study, including business, health, social sciences, engineering, biological and biomedical sciences, psychology. Some of these had a higher share than others. For instance, Business majors accounted for 19 percent, health-related fields were 12 percent of the total. The primary reason for such results is the career and salary prospects of these majors.

• Business

Business includes but is not limited to management, marketing, finance, and accounting. The business major is among the most popular majors in US colleges and universities. The most significant advantage of a business major is that it prepares you for various industries after study. This emphasizes skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, communication, etc., needed in all careers. Other business-focused skills include financial accounting, organizational leadership, etc.

Students going for business major also have a lot of specializations to choose from. Some of the specializations are human resource management, marketing, finance, healthcare, technology, etc. After receiving a degree in business, you can opt for occupations such as business analysts, accountants, human resources specialists, etc.

• Health Professionals

With the aging population and the onset of new diseases and viruses, the public has become more dependent on healthcare. The need for healthcare professionals has already been skyrocketing, and Covid-19 became the final nail in the coffin. According to the stats of BLS, a growth rate of 15% is expected in healthcare-related careers from 2019-2029. It is projected to add 2.4 million jobs, expanding the national employment capacity.

The median salary of the healthcare professional and the technical careers (Registered Nurses (RNs), Surgeons, and dental hygienists) was $69,870 in May 2020. But at that time, the median salary for all other occupations was standing at $41,950, way less than healthcare occupations. Due to the demand and challenging nature of their work, healthcare professionals enjoy a higher salary.

• Social Science

Social science is a vast field and includes a plethora of majors. According to the US Bureau of Statistics, the growth prospects of social science majors are also shown to be positive. It is projected that occupations related to social science will experience a positive growth of 5% between 2019 and 2029 and 68,200 new jobs.

The median pay for social science major is $68,160. However, it is an umbrella field for many majors; the salary can fluctuate between different areas depending on industry and occupation. The highlighting feature of social science majors, especially at the bachelor’s level, is its interdisciplinary approach where subjects from various disciplines such as sociology, psychology, history are offered.

• Engineering

With technological advancements, the demand for engineers is expected to grow. In 2018-2019, 126,700 degrees were awarded to engineering students. Engineering major is characterized by highly focussed fields and specializations; therefore, they are offered the best salaries in the industry. The median salary of an architectural engineer is $81,440, which is double the median salary in other occupations. As the subjects differ depending on the specialization, the compensation can also vary according to different fields under engineering. There are many branches under the engineering field, such as aerospace engineering, architecture, civil engineering, mechanical and nuclear engineering.

Choosing a major requires gathering information about their career project, growth opportunities, and salary projections. Some majors fulfill this criterion while others fall short of it. Therefore, some courses are preferred more than others. Some of the degrees most selected by the students include business and health majors. Hence, they experience an influx of students due to optimistic growth projections about them. Having said that, growth and salary projections are essential considerations; your interest and passion also play an indispensable role in making you successful in the chosen field. So, before selecting a college major, ensure that you have sufficient interest in your chosen major.