College Majors
Choosing a major is more than just checking a box on your college application. Your college major reflects the beginning of your professional career; this decision can impact your future earnings, happiness with your career choice, work schedule, geographic location and more. Choosing a major shouldn’t be about obtaining the perfect class schedule or a popular professor, but about the impact on your future career and lifestyle.
Choosing a Major
If you are interested in certain college majors, you’ll want to look into colleges that specialize in that specific field of study. Certain universities may have special programs, or are “ranked” as being one of the top institutions for that particular field of study.
You also need to look at various financial considerations when choosing a college major. Certain college majors lead into careers that will require further education, like graduate school. If you are going to incur additional student loan debt to continue your education, you should consider the entry level and average salary for your career path. Many graduates become overwhelmed with large student loan payments that they will not be able to pay off on their salary. If you don’t feel like you can afford further education, or you don’t want to pursue another degree beyond a bachelor’s degree, review the careers associated with the college major and level of education that you choose.
Some majors seem interesting in the classroom, but there may be few applicable career paths once you graduate. For example, there is a much smaller niche of careers available for History majors than a broad major like Business. In addition to available jobs, you also need to consider your future earnings potential. Many college students choose a major without understanding the career and life implications. If you are studying to become a social worker, it is unlikely that you will ever earn a six figure salary. You need to be comfortable with the salary potential of your career path, as that will impact your standard of living after you obtain your degree.
You should also be aware of the level of difficulty of your college major. For example, law students face hours of reading; coursework is generally rated as extremely difficult. Law students face stiff competition to be accepted into a school, and not everyone makes it through to graduation. Research your desired career path and know what its going to take to get there.
Popular Majors
We’ve put together information on some of the most popular majors. You can use the list of popular majors below to find out more information, including a description, common careers, education requirements and salary estimates.
List of popular majors