Best College Majors – Picking what you want to study in college is a really important choice that you’ll make in your life. Your decision about what to study will impact not only your classes but also your future job and overall satisfaction in life.
If you are deciding which major to study in college, it could be helpful to know which majors are currently in high demand. Keep reading to discover the top college majors for the upcoming year.
When we talk about picking a good subject to study, we should pay attention to a few important details.
Economic Viability
Think about these college majors that can help you have a well-paying job in the future. Some jobs always do well, regardless of how the economy is doing. And there are some jobs where you can keep learning and moving up in your career. We will mention a few of them very soon.
Better Career Advancement
If you’re already working but want to make more money, you should consider studying a subject that will help you switch to a new job. Or, maybe you are already working in your dream job but didn’t finish college after finishing high school. Picking the correct major helps you graduate and make a higher income.
eLearning
If you are an adult with a job and want to make a change, you should pick a major that can be done easily on the Internet. As a busy adult, you probably don’t have time to do regular coursework that forces you to go to a certain number of classes on campus every week. Picking an online program means you can study at home whenever it works best for you.
Read: Junior College: A Complete Guide to A Vast Institution
7 Best College Majors That Will Interest You
1. Computer Science / IT
Crime is going to always be around, and computer technology is also going to stay with us. Studying computer science can lead to a well-paid job in the growing technology industry.
The BLS predicts that there will be more technology jobs in the future. These jobs are expected to increase by 13% between 2016 and 2026. This growth is faster than the average for all jobs. This increase is mainly because cloud computing, collecting data, and the demand for cyber security are growing.
Getting a degree in computer science not only means you’ll have a stable job, but it also means you’ll have a good amount of money. Here are a few jobs you can get with this degree along with the average yearly salary in 2020 according to the BLS:
- Computer Programmer: $89,190
- Computer Systems Analyst: $93,730
- Database Administrator: $98,860
- Information Security Analyst: $103,590
- Software Developer: $110,140
If you study computer science, you can have many different types of jobs. Graduates will be wanted not just by tech startups but also by companies of all sizes and in all industries. Let’s discuss a popular job everyone wants.
You can take fun and exciting classes like programming, operating systems, software engineering, computer security, linear algebra, calculus, and more.
2. Business
A business degree is given to students who finish a college program that focuses on business, business administration, or business management. Not everyone in the business field has a degree, but having a business degree makes it easier to get a job and move up in your career.
Sometimes, having a business degree is absolutely necessary. For instance, if you want to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), you need to have at least a bachelor’s degree in business. A lot of high-level jobs in the industry need a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
A business major allows you to explore various job options in many different industries. Additionally, due to COVID, working from home has become more common. This means that a business degree can now be applicable to many different job opportunities around the world that may not have been available before, depending on the local companies in your area. Getting a degree in business can help you find a job in different areas such as marketing, finance, sales, management, and public relations. With the increasing popularity of working online from home, there are countless opportunities available in the field.
If you study business, you can take lots of interesting classes like accounting, statistics, marketing, ethics, law, management, microeconomics, macroeconomics and business communication. Remember that many people studying business choose to focus on one area, like real estate, logistics, product development, or finance.
3. Healthcare Administration
Do you want to help people and work in healthcare, but don’t want to deal with blood. Then being a healthcare administrator might be the right job for you.
While doctors and nurses receive recognition, they depend on healthcare administrators who work diligently behind the scenes to help them do their jobs effectively. That’s because these experts are in charge of keeping the building neat, managing finances, and making sure everything runs smoothly. In this role, you can make a positive difference and assist numerous individuals every day.
It has also become one of the most crucial ones globally, due to the ongoing pandemic and other factors like an older population, more diseases, and inactive lifestyles. More people are living a sedentary lifestyle because many industries and jobs now allow people to work from home. To explain it simply, healthcare administrators are necessary not only in hospitals but also in doctor’s offices, urgent care clinics, and nursing homes. These experts are frequently hired by the government, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare device manufacturers. There are so many job options available and they keep increasing every year.
You can also expect to earn a good amount of money, with the average yearly income being about $104,280 for 2020, as reported by the BLS. That being said, the people who make the most money in this job can earn over $200,000 per year. Something that you should work hard to achieve.
There are many interesting classes you can take for a healthcare administration major. These include accounting, finance, healthcare laws and policies, human resources, ethics, information systems, operations management and more.
4. Criminal Justice or Homeland Security
If you have always wanted to help people and make a positive impact, you should think about studying criminal justice and working in homeland security.
Crime will always exist, so working in criminal justice will always have secure job opportunities. Actually, in 2020, about 3 million individuals had jobs in the criminal justice industry, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). If you want to feel confident that your job is secure, then this could be a good major to concentrate on.
Studying criminal justice can lead to many different and thrilling jobs, like:
- Border Patrol Agent
- Court Reporter
- Criminal Investigator
- Homicide Detective
- FBI Agent
- Forensic Psychologist
- Forensic Chemist
- State Trooper
This list doesn’t include everything. However, one interesting area in the field of criminal justice that you might want to consider is working in Homeland Security. In the Homeland Security Agency, your job will involve keeping our country safe from new cyber threats. You’ll see firsthand how we protect our nation and work with other countries to ensure security.
The classes you need to take for a criminal justice major will vary based on your degree level and the specific areas you want to focus on in the field. justice system, and theories of crime. They will also learn about the different methods used to investigate crimes and the laws that govern crime and punishment in the United States.
Additionally, students will study the causes of crime and the ways in which it can be prevented. Overall, criminal justice majors will gain a solid understanding of the criminal justice system and its various components.
The US court system is the legal system in the United States. The Constitution means the rules and principles that guide a country or organization. Behavior sciences study human behavior and how people think and act. Communication is the way people share information and interact with each other. And more refers to additional things or topics that are not mentioned specifically.
5. Communications
With a communications degree, you can work in different jobs related to media and media technologies. But besides this, you will have learned the abilities and knowledge that employers in all fields want in job applicants; abilities like being able to do complex social analysis with numbers or writing clearly and persuasively. If you get a degree in communications, you can find a good job that pays well in areas like movies, social media, and public relations.
Here are some job titles that a person with a degree in communications can pursue:
- Brand Manager
- Business Reporter
- Health Educator
- Human Resources Specialist
- Meeting Event Planner
- Media Planner
- Public Relations Specialist
- Social Media Manager
Students who choose to study communications will have the opportunity to take interesting and diverse classes such as psychology, sociology, social research, communication theory, empirical methods of communication, mass communication, digital technology, and more.
6. Graphic Design
If you are good at coming up with ideas and enjoy working with pictures and designs, then a job as a graphic designer might be just right for you. Graphic designers use computer programs to make stunning visual ideas that inspire and captivate people’s imaginations. These patterns are usually used in ads, magazines, and pamphlets. You can also assist clients with creating their logo, designing their website, or making digital photography content.
The BLS states that in 2019, the typical wage for graphic designers was around $53,380 per year. However, some graphic designers earned over $90,000 annually, making them the highest earners. Also, since many people are starting new businesses, there will always be a need for these experts to assist in making creative ideas become a reality.
You can expect to take interesting classes like printmaking, commercial graphics production, typography, computerized design, and more.
7. Human Services
Many say that those who work in human services do it because they really want to help as many people as possible. Human service professionals are the people who support and help others when they are going through tough times. These professionals can use their knowledge and understanding to guide people in making better decisions, leading to better results. And, even though the work can be difficult, it is totally worth it.
The BLS predicts that there will be a 16% increase in job opportunities for this job in the next ten years, which is higher than usual. A lot of people believe this career is not affected by recessions, so if you want to assist others and have a stable job, this is a good college major to consider.
And although this specific career may not make you extremely wealthy in terms of money, you can still make a decent income. In 2020, social workers made about $51,760 per year on average. That salary is higher than normal.
You will need to take certain classes to get your human services degree. These classes include English composition, communications, statistics, computer skills, psychology, humanities, and behavioral science.
Degree VS Certificate
We have discussed various college degrees you can choose, and it’s clear that getting a degree can lead to finding better job options and making more money. It has been found that people with a bachelor’s degree have more job choices and make more money compared to those who only finished high school. These numbers encourage many adults to return to college and keep learning.
But most adult students are not wondering if they should continue their education, but rather how they should go about doing it. I have talked about the best college degrees for students to focus on.
But there is another way to continue your education after high school, and that is by getting certified.
Certification courses can help you get a job in a particular industry where there is a high need for workers. Sometimes, students finish their studies and earn a degree by learning about theories. However, with a certification program, people who finish the program have acquired strong abilities, which will assist them in finding a good job.
Did you know that employers now look for candidates who have completed certification training. Previously, it was usually necessary for candidates to have a bachelor’s degree to get hired, but that has changed now. Actually, in a survey done by The Learning House, an online learning company, 66% of HR leaders said they would consider hiring people with certifications instead of a bachelor’s degree. This pattern is expected to increase in the upcoming years as there are fewer job opportunities available. This means that prospective students should think carefully about whether getting a certification is the right choice for their future career.
Getting certified takes less time than getting a degree. Imagine it takes around 4 years to finish an average degree. On the other hand, you can get a certification in just 6 months. This lets the student start working earlier, so they can begin making money as soon as they can.
