Industrial And Organizational Psychology
Applying psychological principles to worker behavior is what industrial and organizational psychology is all about. This type of program aims to train you to examine things like employee recruitment policies, workplace training programs, and worker attitudes and motivations to help improve the overall function of a business.
- Median salary: $66,000
What College Majors Are Worth It
Every college major is worth it, even if you dont end up working in the field you studied. There are liberal arts majors who enjoy lucrative careers as lawyers and physicians.
Remember, part of earning your degree is showing employers and graduate school admission committees that you can learn and accomplish your goals. Colleges have certain rules, requirements, and red tape that define how to succeed. Navigating this landscape helps advertise your characteristics of being a go-getter, problem-solver, and finisher.
If you do work in your degree field, all the better. Your education will help you bypass certain entry-level positions and start earning a professional salary.
What Schools Offer This Major Where Are These Schools Located
This question is pragmatic, but important. If you have your heart set on a specific university and a specific major you just might want to ensure that the school of your choice offers a degree within that area. The availability of your chosen major in your preferred geographic area can have a profound impact on your college search. If you have selected a fairly uncommon major and cannot afford to or do not want to relocate, it is important to verify that local universities offer your selection.
Recommended Reading: Where Can I Watch College Hill Season 1
Materials Science And Engineering
- Base Salary: $69,400
- Median Salary : $92,390
- Job Outlook : 2%
Although the job outlook for materials engineers isn’t that high, this major and career should still give you a good shot at making a decent amount of money in the long run.
A materials engineering program integrates the fields of math and science, allowing students to study an array of materials, from glass and plastic to metals and ceramics. A materials science major is extremely similar but normally has a bigger emphasis on improving the function and composition of materials. Some colleges combine the two majors into a single materials science and engineering program.
Classes typically include calculus, physics, chemistry, engineering design, properties of materials, thermodynamics, kinetics of materials, smart materials, and sustainable energy technologies.
- Median Salary : $93,280
- Job Outlook : 11%
Biochemistry is a useful science major to consider if you’re passionate about biological processes and lab work. Biochemists currently have high job growth and a median salary of $93,000.
Although you’ll need a graduate degree to become a biochemist, you can use your bachelor’s in biochemistry in positions such as biological technician or pharmacy technician, which are presently experiencing faster-than-average employment growth .
- Median Salary : $88,190
- Job Outlook : 33%
Best College Majors For Future Job Market
Wondering what the best college majors are for the future?
According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 80% of students in undergraduate studies chose their college major based on the potential job prospects. For those of you who are among the 20% wanting your degree as quickly as possible, you may find our article Quick Degrees that Pay Well helpful.
Theres nothing worse than investing in a college major and then finding out the job market for that major is rapidly diminishing! Save yourself the trouble by choosing a major in a field geared for high growth for a good return on your investment.
Below are the best majors for future growth rankings according to data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Don’t Miss: Where Did Arielle Charnas Go To College
Geology And Earth Sciences
You like dirt, and dirt likes you. With a major in geological and earth sciences get ready to be one with nature as you study soil, natural disasters, energy sources and minerals while also conducting experiments and analyzing data. The average starting salary of $44,059 for geology majors isnt too shabby, but they also have the chance to rake in an average salary of about $80,000 a year as a project geologist. If youre really counting on those six figures, you may want to count more on landing a job once you graduate in geology and earth sciences. Geologist and earth sciences probably werent slaving over job applications for too long considering there were about 94,000 of them in 2014. Looks like the earth isnt going anywhere anytime soon and neither are geologists and environmental scientists.
Look At The Career Options Available Within This Major
Not all majors are created equal. Yes, they all offer a diploma upon completion, but they don’t guarantee a job. When you are choosing a major, it would be wise to check out the job placement statistics of others who have pursued this degree. There is no reason why you should be the guinea pig if a specific career is your reason for choosing this major, investigate the success of others. If you want to avoid a data entry position, check out all of the opportunities available and your chance at landing one of those positions after graduation.
You May Like: Colleges Accepting Applications For Fall 2020
Fun And Quirky Majors
So, what are some cool majors that feed into cool careers? If youre looking for a major that will land you an interesting job, one surprising piece of advice is to specialize. This means you should consider majoring in a very specific topic in order to be better prepared for a chosen career when you jump into the job market. Think about it: would a brewery be more likely to hire a biology major or a fermentation studies major? Read on for more specialized majors at different colleges and universities.
Liberal Arts And Sciences
You entered college and literally every subject from literature to biological sciences fascinated you. Even though this broad major allows you to focus on one career path, liberal arts and sciences majors have the opportunity to get a job in a variety of fields such as marketing, editing, business or government. However, the job market for majors in liberal arts and sciences appears low. That doesnt stop students from claiming it as their major though the average yearly grads come out to be a whopping 99,677. They dont really brag about their starting salaries of $36,000 either, but if they decide to concentrate in economics they could be bringing home the bacon as an economist for $130,000 a year. Plus in 2015, there were around 19,000 economist. Go broad or go home!
Don’t Miss: Eagle Express Tuition Plan
What You Study Influences Your Future Pay And Employment Prospects Know What To Expect Career
College is often considered the surest path to a lucrative career. After all, while you can find some promising jobs without a college degree, the majority of the best jobs for the future require you to have at least a bachelor’s degree just to get your foot in the door. And this is especially true for those jobs with the biggest paychecks. In fact, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a worker with a bachelor’s degree typically earns 80% more than someone with just a high school diploma.
But not all college degrees are created equal. To determine which majors typically come with the best hiring prospects and pay, we studied the data for 102 popular college majors. We looked for courses of study that tend to lead to fat paychecksboth right out of school and further along your career path. We also sought out majors that are in high demand based on recent online job postings as well as long-term growth expectations for related occupations. Plus, we factored in the percentage of workers with given degrees who feel their jobs have a positive impact on the world because having a sense of purpose can be just as important as having a good payday.
The top of our rankings present interested scholars with the best shots at success and satisfaction in the workplace, complete with generous incomes and an abundance of job opportunities. Check out the best college majors for a lucrative career.
1 of 26
- Mid-career salary: $123,500
- Annual online job postings: 21,252
5 of 26
What Are Your Career Goals
After digging into what youre interested in and potential careers options, its time to think about your goals and your future careerand how easy or how hard it might be to find employment.
If you have a specific career goal in mind, you might need to pick your major or program in advance, sometimes as early as when youre applying to college.
Its also good to know what degree youll need for the field that interests you. Heres an overview of different college degrees:
Don’t Miss: What College Is In Terre Haute Indiana
Feminist Gender And Sexuality Studies
Wesleyan University is not the only school with some variation of the feminist, gender and sexuality studies major. This program offers some of the most fascinating classes on college campuses Wesleyan hosts selections like Litanies for Survival, Plots for Revolution and the 85-character course title Place, Belonging, and Sound in the 20th c. Latina/o/x, Black & Caribbean Imaginations. Graduates from programs like the FGSS program usually find places at nonprofit organizations directed toward social change.
Best College Majors For The Future
Home » Best College Majors
Weve ranked the 30 Best College Majors for the Future for 2021. Explore the best future majors, top salaries, and the best majors for future job market.
In search of the best college majors for the future? Our in-depth rankings guide will explore the most popular college majors with the highest paying salaries after graduation, projected job growth rate, and employer demand!
The market is poised for growth, and college graduates are in demand for a variety of lucrative jobs.
Editorial Listing ShortCode:
You May Like: What Colleges Accept Study Com Credits
Finding The Right College Major For You
You’ve likely heard the importance of selecting a college major that will help secure you a job. There are many benefits to possessing a bachelor’s degree in a popular subject area.
A business administration degree, for example, equips you with competencies that qualify you for a plethora of employment opportunities in industries like retail, marketing, and finance. Popular majors also tend to lead to careers with attractive salaries and in-demand positions.
Although potential earnings and job opportunities are important factors to consider, your passion and interests should play a significant role in your decision-making process as well. After all, your major will greatly impact your college experience and future career.
Although potential earnings and job opportunities are important factors to consider when choosing a major, your passion and interests should play a significant role as well.
If you’re considering a more niche major that doesn’t offer abundant job opportunities, like art history or , you should assess your abilities and skills in that subject area. This can be a challenging task, but, as with any college major, your future professional success largely depends on your talent and skills. This is even more important for less popular majors, as jobs in niche fields tend to be highly competitive.
Ultimately, possessing a bachelor’s degree in any field will raise your overall employability.
Get Involved On Campus
College campuses across America are rife with student organizations, clubs and activities. Not only do they foster friendships, but club involvement enriches student resumes. Participation shows employers you did more than the bare minimum in college. It demonstrates that you can balance school work with extracurricular activities. In many cases, it also shows your ability to work with a team. Campus involvement also builds a transferable skill set you can apply in the workforce.
One way to gain professional experience is to join groups that have a board, suggests Monica Kielawa, talent acquisition specialist at Combined Insurance. She explains that many colleges have degree-specific groups that allow anyone to join. You can gain experience by assisting in event planning, managing the groups budget and more. It may not be professional work, but it can be added to your resume with the skills you learned during your time there, she says.
Also Check: How Much Does It Cost To Go To Berkeley College
Organic And Sustainable Agriculture
Despite the fact that this degree seems like it would just involve working on a farm, its actually a very intellectually challenging course of study. At Washington State University, students majoring in organic and sustainable agriculture take classes across the disciplines of science in order to further their knowledge of organic agriculture, a field which has consistently seen dramatic growth since 1991. Students can choose to concentrate on organic animal and dairy production, crop production, pest management, soil management or economics and . Of course, the major does also necessitate some time spent on WSUs Eggcert Family Farm. Graduates from the program go on to become organic farm managers or owners, organic certification specialists and organic food production specialists.
Finance And Financial Management
Where would businesses and organizations be without money and a little financial planning? Probably non-existent. Thats where finance majors come in. Finance and financial management graduates know how to manage and manipulate an organizations money to budget and plan for monetary prosperity. Good thing they have those skills because they have to manage their own big bucks once they start making close to $45,000 for the first few years. Get six figures by landing a job as an actuary and you could be looking at around $134,000 per year. Every business, from non-profits to hospitals, has a need for some type of financial role, recent University of Florida alumna Nicole Horton said. I specifically was searching for a job in the financial industry and received offers in several different finance positions. If you are a well-rounded student, perform well in classes, are a leader on campus and actively make a positive impact in your community, Im confident you will have many options to choose from.
Also Check: Berkeley Nyc Tuition
College Graduates Can Expect To Make Top Dollar With These High
These college majors can lead the way to a sweet paycheck.
Hey college students! Starting to think about graduation already? Have you got your eyes set on landing your first joband pulling in a sweet paycheck? How big that paycheck will be depends in large part on what you majored in to earn that bachelors degree. So what are the best college majors associated with the highest starting salaries? Glad you asked.
Monster pored over The National Association of Colleges and Employers Winter 2021 Salary Survey Report, which plotted out the average starting salaries of many popular college majors, and we narrowed it down to the top eight that lead to good-paying jobs. The salaries were gathered after NACE surveyed its members from September through November 2020.
No surprise, STEM majorsscience, technology, engineering, and mathcame out on top. Remember, though, salaries depend on your experience level, specialty, and where in the country you’re employed. For example, a civil engineer salary in Oakland, California, is 11% higher than the national median a data scientist salary in Kansas City, Missouri, is 1% higher than the national median and an elementary school teacher salary in Little Rock, Arkansas, is 11% lower than the national median.
Read on to see which common majors can lead to high-paying careers right out of the gate.
Make The Most Of Your On Or Off
Having a part-time job is very important in helping students learn transferable skills, says Miner-Rosen.
Whether youre giving campus tours throughout the school year or working summer jobs, dont overlook these work experiences on your resume. Be sure to outline the transferable skills you gained on your resume, such as communication, customer service, organization and administrative skills. Any added responsibilities or initiatives should also be highlighted. Employers like to see examples of you going above and beyond.
Look for part-time or summer jobs related to your major or career path. Boston-area employers in the education, human services, and nonprofit fields are always looking to hire students for part-time and summer opportunities, says Kelly Graham, Director of Career Services at Wheelock College.
Don’t Miss: Colleges Still Accepting Applications
Arts Majors Are Least Valuable
The financial stage isnt set quite as neatly for those with degrees in the arts. Art-related majors are clustered in the bottom spots of our ranking.
Visual and performing arts ranked as the least-valuable major, largely because the median income for degree holders was just $35,500. In another downside, 3.6 percent of degree holders were unemployed.
Miscellaneous fine arts majors and drama and theater arts majors also ranked at the bottom. These majors had unemployment rates of 4.5 percent or higher and median incomes below $45,000.
Saving Money During And After College
Students can take steps to make sure their investment in college education pays off, says Greg McBride, CFA, Bankrates chief financial analyst.
Consider community college for the first couple of years before transferring to a university for the final years of the program, McBride says. Look for scholarships, grants and work-study programs all of which could defray the out-of-pocket costs of a degree. And calibrate the cost of the school with your earning potential at the other end.
Dont overlook living expenses. Students can save money by shopping around for an apartment or taking on roommates rather than living alone.
Even after scholarships and other free money have been accounted for, taking out student loans has become the norm for Americans pursuing bachelors degrees. Sixty-two percent of college seniors who graduated from public and private nonprofit colleges in 2019 had student loan debt, according to The Institute for College Access and Success. These borrowers owed an average of $28,950.
Education debt often leads to delaying financial milestones like buying a home and building an emergency savings fund.
To avoid getting bogged down in student debt, make it a priority to repay loans from banks and private lenders before those from the federal government. Unlike private loans, federal loans have the benefit of low interest rates, income-based repayment plans and other borrower protections.
| Rank |
|---|
| 29% |
Recommended Reading: Is Ashworth College Recognized By Employers