Choosing a major that provides long-term financial and job security is an ever-changing goal that is often difficult to determine. For better understanding, it has always been a valuable resource for students to look at the current popular academic majors and their predicted market conditions.
Today we will look in detail at information from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in order to give you a well-founded overview of the ten most popular academic majors in the USA.
1. Business
Historically, business majors have been the most popular at U.S. colleges across the country. They comprise the majority of bachelor’s degrees and have been for more than a decade. In 2021, the corporate sector recorded 980,200 job openings to replace talent and respond to growth.
Business majors focus on the fundamental practices and principles that serve as the foundation for ensuring that businesses operate effectively. The academic field is broad and offers students a strong curriculum that focuses on critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, leadership and effective communication.
2. Engineering
With an ever-changing landscape for renewable technologies around the world, engineers have historically been in high demand. It is predicted that 91,300 jobs will be added annually between 2021 and 2031 to meet the growth. The current opening rate in 2022 is 200,900 jobs per year to replace talents and meet the expanding technologies.
While the engineering degree covers a wide range of topics, the main tenants focus on effective project management, problem-solving skills, planning skills and graphic communication. It is a very versatile major that can appeal to many industries.
3. Health professions
Global demand for healthcare continues to grow and is expected to peak in the 2030s. The United States is no exception, as the number of required healthcare workers is increasing every year. With an impressive 1.9 million job offers per year, job security is not a problem for the main subjects of the health professions.
The study of health leads students to a large number of different specializations that require a mixture of coursework and practical training. There is a very diverse selection of specializations that contribute to the popularity of the major.
4. Psychology
With one of the biggest modern mental health crises right behind us, the demand for psychologists has never been so great. The job offers continue to increase and amount to 181,600 each to meet the ever-growing industry.
Despite the fact that reading a career in clinical practice requires a doctorate, the major continues to enjoy great popularity among students. This is partly due to the emphasis of the main subject on understanding human behavior, a skill with versatile application in today’s modern labor market.
5. Social sciences
Studying social sciences has always been a less popular option, but over the past decade the labor market has changed significantly. Social scientists see a high demand for their skills with 147,900 new job openings in 2021.
Social science courses are known for their wide range of topics, including sociology, history and economics. This provides a liberal arts-style curriculum that focuses on leadership, communication, and analytical skills.
