Business is the most popular bachelor's degree major in the United States, accounting for roughly 19% of all bachelor's degrees conferred each year. Health professions, engineering, biological sciences, and computer science round out the top five. The popularity rankings have shifted significantly over the past decade, with computer science and health professions growing rapidly while education and humanities have declined.
Choosing a major because it's popular isn't a strategy. Neither is avoiding a major because it's popular. But understanding which fields are growing and which are shrinking tells you something useful about where the economy is heading and where the competition will be.
The most popular majors tend to be popular for a reason — strong job markets, clear career paths, and broad applicability. But popularity also means more graduates competing for the same entry-level positions. The data below helps you weigh those tradeoffs.
Key Statistics at a Glance
These figures come from NCES Digest of Education Statistics, which tracks degree completions at all accredited institutions.1
Top Majors by Degrees Conferred
Based on the most recent NCES data, the most popular bachelor's degree fields in the United States (ranked by approximate number of degrees conferred annually):1
1. Business — Roughly 390,000 degrees per year. Business has been the top major for decades. It includes sub-specializations like finance, marketing, management, accounting, and supply chain. The breadth of the field means "business major" covers a wide range of skills and career paths. See our business degree guide for details.
2. Health professions and related programs — Roughly 260,000+ degrees per year. This category includes nursing (the largest segment), public health, health administration, exercise science, and allied health programs. Growth has been steady for over a decade, driven by healthcare industry expansion.
3. Engineering and engineering technologies — Roughly 170,000+ degrees per year. This combines traditional engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical) with engineering technology programs. Growth has been strong, fueled by demand in tech and infrastructure.
4. Biological and biomedical sciences — Roughly 145,000+ degrees per year. Biology remains a popular choice for pre-med students and those interested in research. The field includes general biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and ecology.
5. Computer and information sciences — Roughly 120,000+ degrees per year. This is the fastest-growing major field by percentage. CS enrollment has roughly quintupled since the early 2010s, driven by tech industry demand and high starting salaries. See our computer science degree guide for details.
6. Psychology — Roughly 120,000+ degrees per year. One of the most popular liberal arts majors, psychology attracts students interested in human behavior, counseling, research, and mental health.
7. Social sciences (excluding psychology) — Roughly 115,000+ degrees per year. This includes political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, and international relations.
8. Communication and journalism — Roughly 95,000+ degrees per year. Covers media production, public relations, advertising, journalism, and strategic communication.
9. Education — Roughly 85,000-90,000 degrees per year. Education has declined significantly from its peak as teacher shortages persist alongside low relative salaries.
10. Visual and performing arts — Roughly 85,000+ degrees per year. Includes fine arts, graphic design, music, theater, and film.
The popularity of a major doesn't tell you how competitive the job market is for its graduates. Business is the most popular major, but business graduates also have one of the widest ranges of career options because the skills are transferable across industries. Computer science is rapidly growing, but demand for software engineers is growing even faster, so the job market remains strong despite increased competition. For a salary-focused view, see our highest-paying majors guide.
Fastest Growing Majors
The most significant shifts in major popularity over the past decade:1
Growing rapidly:
- Computer science: Enrollment has grown roughly 5x since the early 2010s, driven by tech industry demand and salary premiums
- Health professions: Steady growth driven by healthcare expansion, aging population, and pandemic-era interest in healthcare careers
- Engineering: Moderate growth reflecting infrastructure investment and technology sector demand
- Data science and analytics: Emerging as a standalone major at many institutions (previously part of math or CS departments)
Declining:
- Education: Significant decline in degrees conferred, reflecting low relative salaries and challenging working conditions
- English and literature: Steady decline over the past decade
- History: Significant enrollment decline
- Foreign languages: Sharp decline at many institutions
- Philosophy and religious studies: Small programs getting smaller
The humanities decline is one of the most discussed trends in higher education. It reflects student and family concerns about career outcomes rather than declining interest in the subjects themselves. Many humanities departments are responding by emphasizing career skills, adding practical minors (data analytics, digital media), and marketing the transferable critical thinking skills their programs develop.
Don't chase trends blindly. Computer science is growing fast, but enrolling in CS because of the salary data — without genuine interest in programming — puts you in the 40-50% of CS students who switch majors before graduating. The students who succeed in growing fields are those who are genuinely interested in the work, not those who are chasing the paycheck.
What Popularity Means for Job Markets
The relationship between major popularity and job market outcomes is more nuanced than "popular = competitive":
High demand, high supply (good): Engineering and computer science have large and growing graduate pools, but industry demand has kept pace or exceeded supply. Graduates in these fields generally find employment in their field without difficulty.
High supply, moderate demand (competitive): Business, psychology, and biology produce many graduates competing for a more limited number of field-specific entry-level positions. Business majors benefit from broad applicability. Psychology and biology majors often need graduate degrees for career-track positions.
Low supply, stable demand (opportunity): Education, social work, and nursing face worker shortages despite reasonable numbers of graduates. These fields offer strong employment security even as degree production grows slowly.
Declining supply, uncertain demand (mixed): Humanities majors are producing fewer graduates, but the job market for humanities-specific careers (teaching, publishing, libraries) is also contracting. However, humanities graduates with complementary technical skills are increasingly valued in content, UX, and communications roles.
Despite the growth of STEM majors, business remains the clear leader by a wide margin. More business degrees are conferred each year than engineering and computer science degrees combined. This has been true for over three decades and shows no signs of changing, partly because business programs accept students from the broadest range of academic backgrounds and offer the widest range of career paths.1
What This Means for Students
If you're drawn to a popular major: That's fine. Popular majors are popular because they work for a lot of people. Focus on differentiating yourself within the major through internships, specializations, leadership, and networking. A business major with two internships and a supply chain concentration stands out from a generic business major with no work experience.
If you're drawn to a less popular major: Also fine. Lower enrollment often means smaller class sizes, more faculty attention, and less competition for departmental opportunities (research, awards, scholarships). The key is having a clear plan for how your major connects to career outcomes. See our guide to choosing a major for help with this planning.
If you're undecided: Look at the intersection of what interests you and what has reasonable career prospects. The major exploration tools at most universities let you sample courses before committing. Don't rush the decision — students who choose a major thoughtfully are more likely to graduate on time than those who pick early and switch later.
FAQ
Should I choose a popular major for job security?
Not necessarily. A popular major means more graduates competing for positions. What matters more is the demand-to-supply ratio in your specific field. Nursing has excellent job security despite moderate enrollment because demand far exceeds supply. Business has many graduates but also many career paths. The best approach is researching job market data for your specific field of interest.
Is it bad to choose a declining major like English or history?
Not inherently. Declining enrollment means fewer graduates, which can actually reduce competition for positions in those fields. The challenge is that many traditional careers for humanities graduates (teaching, publishing, libraries) are also shrinking. Combining a humanities major with technical or business skills creates more career flexibility.
What major should I choose if I don't know what career I want?
Psychology, communications, business, and economics are broad enough to keep career options open while developing transferable skills. Avoid highly specialized majors (nursing, engineering, accounting) unless you're fairly certain about the career path they lead to, since switching later can be costly.
Does choosing a less popular major hurt my career prospects?
Not if you have a plan. Employers care about skills and experience more than the specific major name. A philosophy major with strong analytical writing, an internship at a consulting firm, and demonstrated leadership has better career prospects than a business major with no work experience and a 2.5 GPA.
Why are humanities majors declining so fast?
Primarily because of perceived career risk. Students and families are more ROI-conscious than ever, and the starting salary data for humanities graduates is lower than STEM and business graduates. Whether this perception is accurate for individual students depends on career goals, but the aggregate data has shifted enrollment patterns significantly.
Footnotes
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National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Digest of Education Statistics: Bachelor's Degrees Conferred by Field of Study. NCES, U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Employment Projections by Education and Training Assignment. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm ↩
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National Association of Colleges and Employers. (2024). Job Outlook Report. NACE. https://www.naceweb.org/job-market/trends/ ↩