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Most Popular College Majors in the USA – What Students Actually Study
In 2021-22, U.S. colleges and universities awarded roughly 2 million bachelor’s degrees. These are the fields students chose most often, ranked by actual degrees conferred using data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). No prestige weighting, no salary filter. Just what students picked.
| Rank | Field | Degrees Conferred (2021-22) | Median Salary Range | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 375,418 | $65K to $156K | Business Admin, Finance, Marketing, Accounting |
| 2 | Health Professions | 263,765 | $76K to $126K | Nursing, Health Admin, Physical Therapy |
| 3 | Social Sciences and History | 151,109 | $75K to $116K | Economics, Political Science, Sociology |
| 4 | Biological and Biomedical Sciences | 131,462 | $80K to $106K | Biology, Biochemistry, Pre-med pipeline |
| 5 | Psychology | 129,609 | $58K to $93K | Counseling, HR, Social Services, Research |
| 6 | Engineering | 123,017 | $96K to $108K | Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, Chemical |
| 7 | Computer and Information Sciences | 108,503 | $106K to $133K | CS, IT, Cybersecurity, Data Science |
| 8 | Visual and Performing Arts | 90,241 | $59K to $105K | Fine Art, Graphic Design, Film, Music |
| 9 | Education | 89,410 | $62K to $65K | Elementary Ed, Secondary Ed, Special Ed |
| 10 | Communication and Journalism | 86,043 | $56K to $130K | PR, Broadcasting, Media Studies, Journalism |
| 11 | Homeland Security and Criminal Justice | 56,901 | $75K to $96K | Law Enforcement, Criminology, Emergency Mgmt |
| 12 | Liberal Arts and Sciences | 37,887 | Varies | Generalist degree; strongest at community college |
Salary data: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), May 2024. Ranges reflect median salaries across sub-fields and experience levels.
1. Business - 375,418 degrees
Business has held the top spot for decades, and 2021-22 makes it clear why. With 375,418 bachelor’s degrees conferred, nearly 1 in 5 graduates earned a business degree. The category spans Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, Accounting, and Management, making it one of the most versatile credentials you can earn. The most common bachelor’s-level job in the U.S. is General and Operations Manager, per BLS projections for 2024-34, and that role routinely hires business graduates. Median salary across business and financial occupations sits around $76,850, with Financial Managers earning a median of $156,100 (BLS).
2. Health Professions - 263,765 degrees
Nursing drives this category. Registered Nurses earned a median of $93,600 in May 2024 (BLS), and Nurse Practitioners pulled $126,260, making health professions one of the most reliable career investments in the list. The category also covers health services administration, physical therapy, and medical imaging. Applications to nursing programs grew steadily from 2015 to 2023 even as most other fields declined, according to StudentChoice.org analysis of 121,000 student loan applications.
3. Social Sciences and History - 151,109 degrees
Economics, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, and History fall under this umbrella. It’s a broad field with wide salary variance. Economists median $115,730, while Market Research Analysts sit at $74,680 and Urban Planners at $81,800 (BLS). Many students treat it as a pre-law track, using an undergraduate Social Sciences degree as a launchpad to law school.
4. Biological and Biomedical Sciences - 131,462 degrees
This is the pre-med field. Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Neuroscience, and Microbiology make up the category, and a significant share of graduates go on to medical, dental, or pharmacy school. Biochemists and Biophysicists earned a median of $106,320 in May 2024 (BLS). The large enrollment numbers partly reflect students on extended MD or PhD routes, not just those entering the workforce with a bachelor’s alone.
5. Psychology - 129,609 degrees
Psychology is one of the most versatile undergraduate degrees on this list. Graduates go into counseling, human resources, healthcare support, research, and social services. Psychologists earned a median of $92,740 (BLS), and a bachelor’s alone opens entry-level paths in HR and market research. One oddity worth knowing: in Maine and Vermont, psychology actually ranks as the top major, beating out Business, according to Bold.org’s state-by-state analysis.
6. Engineering - 123,017 degrees
Mechanical, Civil, Electrical, and Chemical Engineering make up the bulk of these degrees. Mechanical Engineers median $102,320, Civil Engineers $95,890, and Electrical Engineers $107,900 (BLS, May 2024). One persistent characteristic: roughly 75% of Engineering bachelor’s degrees go to men, making it one of the most gender-skewed fields in higher education (NCES).
7. Computer and Information Sciences - 108,503 degrees
The clearest mover in this ranking. Computer Science degrees more than doubled over the past decade. Data Science bachelor’s degrees alone grew from 84 in 2020 to 897 in 2022 (NCES), and AI programs are expanding rapidly at major universities. Software Developers earned a median of $133,080 in May 2024 (BLS), the highest single figure in this list. Computer and IT occupations overall median $105,990.
8. Visual and Performing Arts - 90,241 degrees
Fine Art, Graphic Design, Film, Theater, Music, and Dance round out the top 10. Salary outcomes vary dramatically by specialty. Graphic Designers median $58,910, while Art Directors pull $104,760 (BLS). This category gets dismissed in ROI rankings, but 90,000 students a year clearly see value in it. Passion and career flexibility drive enrollment here more than starting salary.
9. Education - 89,410 degrees
Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Special Education, and Early Childhood make up this category. Elementary School Teachers earned a median of $62,340 in May 2024 (BLS), and Special Education Teachers $64,820. Education was once the second most popular major in America but has dropped substantially since the 1970s, it’s now outside the top five. It’s also the category most likely to lead to immediate, identifiable employment (teaching roles in public schools), which partially offsets the lower salary figures.
10. Communication and Journalism - 86,043 degrees
Communications, Public Relations, Broadcasting, Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies all fall here. The salary range is wide because outcomes depend heavily on specialization. Public Relations Managers median $130,480, while Reporters and Journalists median $55,960 (BLS). PR and corporate communications tracks consistently outperform traditional journalism on earnings.
11. Homeland Security and Criminal Justice - 56,901 degrees
Law Enforcement, Criminology, Corrections, Emergency Management, and Fire Science make up this category. It’s extremely popular in online programs, with large institutions like Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) reporting some of their highest online enrollment numbers here. Police Officers median $75,420, while Detectives and Criminal Investigators median $95,810 (BLS).
12. Liberal Arts and Sciences - 37,887 degrees
This is the catch-all generalist degree, interdisciplinary by design, specific by nothing. The salary picture varies entirely by what graduates do next, since the degree itself does not lock in a particular career path. Here’s the twist: Liberal Arts and Sciences awards 383,300 associate’s degrees, 38% of all associate’s degrees conferred (NCES). The ranking looks completely different at the community college level, where this field dominates.
The common thread across all 12 fields is breadth. Students pick Business for flexibility, Health Professions for job security, Computer Science for salary potential, and the Arts for passion. According to NCES, the top six fields alone account for more than half of all bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2021-22. The rankings have been remarkably stable for decades, with Computer Science being the most dramatic exception. A field that barely registered 20 years ago now sits comfortably in the top 10.