All over the world, there are the top 10 most popular majors in college for all students, including international students who from foreign lands desire to gain advanced knowledge. Although not all courses of study are of paramount importance depending on their profitability in terms of ROI and all, yet no course deserves to be underrated.
However, the list of the top 10 most popular majors in college for all students is here discussed. It contains the really important and major courses that you may want to pick in order to sustain your relevance as it cuts across all fields and sectors:
1. Engineering
Engineering majors design and build things. The specific things they build and the scale at which they build them depends on their discipline. Some popular engineering disciplines include electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, chemical engineering, and computer engineering.
Entry-level engineering jobs are often titled “entry-level engineer” in their decided discipline, for example entry-level mechanical engineer or entry-level electrical engineer. They may also enter the workforce as an assistant, associate, or analyst.
- Percentage of degrees conferred: 6.3 percent
- Median salary: $93,000
2. Education
An education major prepares students to work in a school setting. Degree programs may focus on general education, or they may center on a specific type of student, such as early childhood education, elementary education, or special education. Most people who study education end up finding a job as a teacher, which often requires a teaching certification in addition to a bachelor’s degree. Some people may go on to pursue their master’s in education in order to qualify for administrative positions.
Some entry-level positions associated with an education degree include elementary, middle, or high school teacher, substitute teacher, school librarian, curriculum design specialist, and teaching assistant.
- Percentage of degrees conferred: 4.2 percent
- Median salary: $48,000
3. Business
Business is the most common major, with nearly one-fifth of all bachelor’s degree recipients choosing this path. Business majors include several areas of study, such as business administration, management, and marketing. They tend to be in high demand among employers, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Some entry-level jobs you may get with a business degree include administrative assistant, marketing coordinator, human resources assistant, sales representative, and business development associate.
- Percentage of degrees conferred: 19.0 percent
- Median salary: $65,000
4. Communication and Journalism
Communication majors focus on the various ways to share information. Common areas of study include general communications, journalism, and mass media.
Some entry-level jobs associated with a communication degree are social media coordinator, public relations specialist, marketing assistant, editorial assistant, reporter, and media planner.
- Percentage of degrees conferred: 4.5 percent
- Median salary: $54,000
5. Social sciences and History
With a major in the social sciences, you’ll study societal systems: how they’re built, how they operate, and how people interact with them. These majors tend to be interdisciplinary—meaning they relate several areas of study—so students who pursue a social science major may develop strong transferable skills. Some examples of social science majors are anthropology, economics, environmental studies, political science, and sociology.
Some entry-level jobs for social science and history majors include legal assistant, economic analyst, market researcher, public policy analyst, and community health worker.
- Percentage of degrees conferred: 7.9 percent
- Median salary: $64,000
6. Computer and information sciences
Computer and information science majors include computer science, computer information systems, and information technology. The popularity of computer and information sciences saw 8.7 percent growth year-over-year, the highest of all the majors on this list. This major’s popularity has seen similarly exceptional growth over the past several years.
This increase in popularity could be related to employer demand. According to NACE, computer and information sciences sits just behind business as the most in-demand major among employers, and they stand to be among the highest paid graduates. Some entry-level computer science jobs include computer support specialist, web developer, software developer, and information security analyst.
- Percentage of degrees conferred: 4.8 percent
- Median salary: $85,000
7. Health
Health majors are the second most popular for undergrads and can include nursing, public health, and health science. Many high-paying jobs in health care require credentials beyond a bachelor’s degree, such as a master’s or professional degree. However, it’s possible to start your career in health with a bachelor’s degree.
Some entry-level jobs include registered nurse, health care administrator, nutritionist, public health researcher, clinical lab technician, and exercise physiologist.
- Percentage of degrees conferred: 12.6 percent
- Median salary: $63,000
8. Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Biological and biomedical science majors study living organisms. Some disciplines include biology, physiology, microbiology, and molecular biology. Biology is among the most common majors for students interested in pursuing a medical career, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Many undergraduate biology students go on to pursue a doctoral or professional degree, later becoming medical scientists, physicians, pharmacists, or dentists. Entry-level jobs associated with a biological or biomedical science degree include research assistant, nutritionist, medical writer, pharmaceutical sales representative, or laboratory technician.
- Percentage of degrees conferred: 6.2 percent
- Median salary: $65,000
9. Mathematics
Mathematics majors study algebra, geometry, calculus, number theory and other subjects related to math. They learn how to produce detailed equations and computational theories to solve problems in academia, government and other sectors.
They can work in a wide range of fields, including data science, health care and research and development. Some possible jobs and salaries for mathematics graduates include:
- Job growth rate: 31% from 2021 to 2031
- Median salary: $109,968 per year
10. Psychology
Psychology majors learn about the brain and human behavior. They may gain behavioral sciences knowledge and how peoples’ brains develop over time, in addition to how to help people with brain injuries or various psychological conditions. Coursework may include topics related to mental disorders, personality types, and motivation, cognition and perception.
- Job growth rate: 6% from 2021 to 2031
- Median salary: $101,457 per year
