What does it mean for a degree to be one of the 10 best college majors for the future? Well, there are many factors to consider. Earning potential is important, especially with the cost of college so high. Job growth rate is also important. But so is the number of real jobs that job growth rate reflects. We also considered the likelihood of the job being replaced by artificial intelligence in the near future. These are the primary factors we used while creating this ranking of the top 10 best majors for the future. This ranking takes these factors and more into account and features many of the most future-proof jobs on the market. This means you can expect a long and successful career as long as you put in the time and effort required to succeed.
What you won’t find in our ranking are jobs that don’t require an undergraduate degree. This article is specifically about the 10 best college majors for the future. Every job on here requires at least a four-year bachelor degree, and many require master’s degrees.
Reviewing the Top 10 Best College Majors for the Future
#1. Computer Science (Bachelor’s degree/Master’s degree)
There are a number of professions available to people with a computer science degree that have a fast job growth rate. However, the growth rate of the software developer profession far outpaces the rest. The percentage growth is quite high. The number of jobs that growth reflects in real numbers is astounding. Getting your first job in the field should be simple. This makes this one of the best college majors for the future. An undergraduate computer science degree is all you need to get in and start working in software development. From there, you climb up the ranks as you prove yourself. If you want to be on the cutting edge of research in software development, then a master’s in computer science degree will suit you well. In the end, success in the software development industry is less about your level of education, and more about your personal skill. This makes the bachelor’s degree in computer science our main recommendation for anyone who wants a career in the field. In the two years since this article was first published the median salary for computer and information research scientists has increased by over $24,000 per year.
- Median Salary: $131,510
- Top 10% Salary: $164,590
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 22%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 316,000
#2. Healthcare Administration (Bachelor’s/Master’s)
BLS Medical and Health Services Manager Page
Medical and health services managers are needed now more than ever. This is one of the best college majors for the future. It’s a position you have to work your way into in most cases. You must gain lower-level administrative experience in a clinical or other healthcare setting. Once you choose the right college major, and the requisite experience, there are plenty of jobs opening up at the top end faster than they can currently fill them. Our suggestion would be to earn your bachelor degree and find a job in healthcare administration. Then you can work while you earn your master’s.
- Median Salary: $101,340
- Top 10% Salary: $189,000+
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 32%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 139,600
#3. Master’s in Nursing
BLS Nurse Anesthetist/Midwife/Practitioner
The nurse practitioner job marketing is expected to grow at a rate of 52% over the next ten years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nurse anesthetists have a median salary of $174,790. Nurses tend to make great money no matter where they work. However, nurses working in hospitals tend to have the highest salaries on average. The role of nurses in healthcare is changing. It has become clear they are more than capable of stepping into roles previously filled by doctors. This is certainly one of the best college majors for the future. Nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, and nurse educator are all great options for an advanced nursing degree. A master’s in nursing is required for all of these advanced nursing positions. A nurse practitioner master’s is our recommendation for one of the best college majors for the future. That and experience in the field goes a long way toward landing the best nursing jobs. Check out our nursing school rankings for great programs. In the two years since this article was first published the median salary for nurse practitioners has increased by $8,000 per year.
- Median Salary: $123,780
- Top 10% Salary: $184,180+
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 45%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 121,700
#4. Physical Therapy (Doctorate of Physical Therapy)
Physical therapy is the only job in this ranking that requires a doctorate degree. However, a physical therapy doctorate can be earned in just three years. You only need a bachelor’s degree to enter the program. So realistically it only requires one more year than your average master’s degree to become a physical therapist. For the prospective student, common bachelor’s degrees for physical therapy include recreation and fitness or healthcare related degrees. There is a residency component which takes an additional year, but these are typically paid. Physical therapists help injured and ill people manage their pain and improve their mobility. The job growth rate for physical therapists is quite high, as is the earning potential. Graduating physical therapists can expect a job market with 15,600 job openings per year nationwide on average according to the BLS. As a physical therapist, you can expect to work in private offices, clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, or making house calls.
- Median Salary: $95,620
- Top 10% Salary: $127,000
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 21%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 49,100
#5. Information Security (Bachelor/Master’s)
BLS Information Security Analyst
It seems like every week there is another huge data breach that exposes customer info. One of the problems is there just aren’t enough information security analysts to go around. Consulting firms, third party cybersecurity providers, and regular companies just can’t keep up with demand. The information security job market is growing at a staggering rate. The industry is in desperate need of trained professionals. This makes a bachelor’s degree or master’s in information security or cybersecurity one of the best majors for future job market. The money is great too. So if you want to help keep people’s data safe, this is one of the best degrees for the future. In the two years since this article was first published, the median salary has increased by $2,000. The job growth rate has increased from 31% to 33%. If you are interested in this and have a computer science degree, then earning a master’s in the field will be enough to make a transition. This is a very strong pairing.
- Median Salary: $102,600
- Top 10% Salary: $158,860+
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 33%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 47,100
#6. Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology
BLS Speech-Language Pathologist
Another one of the best degrees for the future is in speech-language pathology. This growing medical specialty focuses on helping people who have speech impediments. Specialists also work with those who suffer from autism or communication disorders. A master’s in speech-language pathology is required to enter this field. For your bachelor’s degree, psychology, counseling, or special education can lay the groundwork. The job growth rate is incredible, and the pay among the best you will find in counseling. Helping people communicate has a massive impact on their lives. This is one of the best helping careers in the job market right now. In the two years since this article was first published the job growth rate has increased from 25% to 29%.
- Median Salary: $79,120
- Top 10% Salary: $121,260+
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 29%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 45,400
#7. Master of Health Sciences
The master of health sciences is the degree you need to become a physician’s assistant. Physician’s assistants perform many of the functions of a doctor. They often work under the direct supervision of a doctor. They examine patients, administer treatments, and prescribe medicine. Physician’s assistants often serving as the patient’s principal healthcare provider. Some states allow physician assistants to practice solo. Why the significant job growth rate? Well, physician’s assistants have seen their roles expanded over the years. They are becoming a larger, more important element of healthcare around the world. So what’s the difference? Doctor education is much broader in scope than PA training. Doctors must do practical rotations in every major area of medical practice. Creating doctors is incredibly expensive. Requiring doctors to perform tasks that can be done by physician assistants is a waste of resources. Physician’s assistants play an important role in reducing the costs of healthcare in modern society. In just two years since this article was first published, the median pay for physician’s assistants has increased by almost $10,000 per year.
- Median Salary: $121,260
- Top 10% Salary: $157,120+
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 31%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 39,300
#8. Mathematics/Statistics (Bachelor’s/Master’s)
BLS Mathematician/Statistician
Mathematicians and statisticians work in many fields, including computer science, finance, research and development, political science, economics, insurance, and healthcare. These are just a few of the fields in which maths and stats professionals play a major role. Most modern sectors need statisticians and mathematicians to work with other professionals. Together they create the relevant analytical frameworks used to make essential decisions. Of course there is also academia. This is where mathematicians and statisticians teach and conduct their research. Modern society is complex. The more integrated society becomes, the more we need solid methods for analyzing it. The more society grows, the more complex it becomes. More specialists are needed to understand how it works. This has led to massive job growth for mathematicians and statisticians. The pay for professionals in these fields is among the best you will find in any field. Those with a bachelor’s degree in maths tend to work for companies. They apply the theories created by the researchers. Researchers tend to have master’s and PhD degrees. They typically work in colleges as professors and researchers. Maths and stats tend to be considered intimidating subjects. So the amount of students willing to devote the entirety of their studies to them is far fewer than other fields. This means competition in the job market favors the professionals. They often have their pick of jobs.
- Median Salary: $96,030
- Top 10% Salary: $162,060+
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 33%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 15,000
#9. Bachelor’s in Operations Research
BLS Operations Research Analyst
Technology is advancing, and businesses have become more complex. This means a general business degree has less traction. Think about it from a business leader’s perspective. If your company has complex operations, would you rather have generalists or specialists managing it? Instead of hiring general business majors, you might hire instead an operations research analyst. Operations research analysis is one of the fast-growing occupations in business. This makes operations research one of the best bachelor degrees for the future. There are a variety of degrees that can qualify you for a career in operations research analysis. The most obvious of these is a bachelor’s degree in operations research. You only need a bachelor’s degree to get your foot in the door. If you really want to go all-in, a more focused master’s degree or graduate certificate in operations management or analysis is the way to go. A master’s in mathematics or statistics is also a great option. Especially if you find you’re having difficulty ascending beyond early-career positions. You can expect great salaries and plenty of opportunities as positions like this become more essential over time.
- Median Salary: $82,810
- Top 10% Salary: $140,790
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 25%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 26,100
#10. Master’s in Genetics or Genetic Counseling
Genetic counseling is a profession in its infancy. The profession is expected to grow as the understanding of the human genome advances. Genetic counselors evaluate and communicate a family’s risk of inherited medical conditions. They help families with a history of genetic disorders make educated choices. This education covers having children and managing and treating genetic disorders. This is one of the best majors for the future because the technology and research is new. It’s a rare opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a profession as it develops. Those who enter the field now will be part of defining everything from ethical standards to industry best practices. To become a genetic counselor you need an accredited graduate degree. The degree must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling. There are 45+ such accredited programs in the United States, with more being developed.
- Median Salary: $80,150
- Top 10% Salary: $114,750
- 10yr Job Growth Rate: 26%
- Total New Jobs Next 10yrs: 600
Why are so many of these jobs in healthcare or technology?
Job markets change over time as technology advances and the needs of society changes. Right now, the highest growth rate jobs are in technology and healthcare. This is because as those sectors develop, new kinds of jobs are created. Certain roles also become more important, leading to increased need for those professionals. This is happening in the tech and health sectors. For the most part, this means health and tech bachelor’s degrees are some of the best degrees to get for the future. The way healthcare is delivered is changing. Healthcare in the U.S. is becoming more reliant on physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners to relieve the burden on doctors. This increases efficiency in healthcare. The degrees required for those roles are less expensive and take less time to earn.
STEM degrees generally are among the best and most needed degrees in the country these days. However, while this is generally true, not all STEM degrees are equally relevant currently. Technology jobs will almost always be growing from now on. Technological innovation grows over time. Which means there will almost always be fewer technology professionals than we need. The more essential technology becomes to our lives, the more software developers and engineers are required to sustain the industry’s growth. Couple this with the reality that technology jobs aren’t the easiest jobs to do, and there will always be more demand than supply. Sometimes scientific advances open up new doors and create entirely new professions all on their own. An example of this is the Genetic Counseling field, which is new but growing.
I’ve heard engineering jobs are great but I don’t see any engineering degrees on this ranking. Are they not good?
Engineering jobs are great! But the focus of this article is on the ten best college degrees for the future. Engineering jobs tend to grow at average rates (around 4%), and this growth is fairly stable. There’s also not as many engineering jobs out there as you might think. The jobs that do exist tend to pay incredibly well. Engineering will always be a solid bet, especially biomedical engineering and environmental engineering. I would never want to discourage anyone from pursuing it. But the degrees in our ranking correspond to jobs growing at such incredibly fast rates where people who earn them are almost guaranteed a great job. That’s what this ranking is all about!
If you are interested in engineering, the following is a list of the kinds of engineers that make great money: chemical engineers, electrical engineers, civil engineers, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, petroleum engineering, and industrial engineers. Start with these if you are considering a college degree in engineering.
What if I don’t want to earn a bachelor’s degree? Are there good jobs for the future that don’t require one?
That’s perfectly fine! There are many trades that are growing fast, especially those related to the installation and maintenance of green energy technology and infrastructure! These jobs can usually be done with an associate degree or apprenticeship. The trades tend to be pretty stable because we’re a long way off from developing a robot that can come to your house and fix your plumbing, or run the wires on a new build. The trades are a great choice, and you’re in luck! We just published an article featuring the top ten highest paying trades, and it happens to feature several trades growing faster than average – some with a a growth rate of over 50%! You can find the article here. There are quite a few for which an associate degree can be used as an entry point.
I already have a college major. Should I consider switching?
It’s fairly common for students to switch their college major. Potential employment opportunities are often a major reason to switch. The average is around three college major switches per student, actually. Whether or not it makes sense to switch your college major really depends on your personal situation. Is it financially feasible? Will you mind if it takes an extra six months or year to complete your new college major? Will it lead to better employment opportunities? It’s typical for students to complete their general education credits during their first two years. So if you are within your first two years, it may not add anything to the time it will take to complete your college major. However, if you are in your third year, and have started taking courses specific to your college major, you may lose some of those credits. This is typically what causes students to take more time to complete their new college major. Another thing that might cause a student to switch their college major is current events. For instance, with many countries around the world reducing their dependence on oil, petroleum engineering may not be the all-star degree it once was.
If your current college major is closely related to the one you are considering switching to, then you may not lose any credits. If you are a third year theater major switching to mathematics, you will likely lose at least some. Keep in mind that there are many generalist majors like business administration and information technology that can be narrowed down by switching to a more specialized major that human resources departments are starting to look for. So in the end the costs must be weighed against the benefits. At least if you switch your college major for one of the degrees featured here, you know you will have good prospects for the future.
What is the BLS? Is this information reliable?
BLS stands for Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a government bureau responsible for tracking trends in the labor market. Median salaries, job growth and decline, employment opportunities, how dangerous jobs are. All these labor statistics are tracked by the BLS. It’s a lot of information to sift through and it can be overwhelming. But it’s also very useful information, which is why many of our articles feature relevant info from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When considering various degrees, it is important to factor in employment opportunities. The BLS is why we feel confident that the degrees featured here will provide many employment opportunities. It’s important to know that when it comes to projecting future job growth and employment opportunities, there is no better source than the BLS for this information. The BLS is an incredible tool when planning for your college degree.
Why include both bachelor’s and master’s level degrees?
Many of the best career paths require graduate degrees to reach their heights. Often some of the best job growth is happening in the upper levels of a career path. Take nursing for example. The whole field is growing. But the best growth is among nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists. This is because those roles are becoming more prominent in American healthcare at this moment, so there is a huge demand for them. So while becoming a nurse only requires an associate’s degree, it’s the top side of the career path where the most significant growth is happening. It’s important when considering a college major to also consider your potential career paths. Just because a master’s degree is required does not necessarily mean it is required immediately. In other words, for many career paths, both experience and education play a role in determining somebody’s eligibility for a position. Taking into account the whole career path and career opportunities of a specific job allowed us to truly feature the best college degrees for the future.
You mentioned artificial intelligence. How do you know these jobs are unlikely to be replaced by it?
Well, the development in AI has been incredible the past several years. So it’s hard to predict where things will go from here. Current AI, even the smartest self learning variety, is not on the same level as humans when it comes to complex tasks. Professions like information security might use an AI to harden their technological infrastructure. But much of information security involves accounting for the human element, and for that, you need humans. Likewise humans are more likely to respond positively to other humans in situations involving a relational aspect. Counselors, medical professionals (especially patient-facing) are unlikely to be replaced by artificial intelligence any time soon because the human component is important in healthcare.
AI may soon surpass humans in the development of risk analysis or economic models, data science, data analysis, and actuarial science. But many fields still require human intuition and a human touch. A physician’s assistant’s job is, generally speaking, much more secure than that of a data analyst. Physical therapists will likely never entirely lose their job to AI because the human component of the job is so essential. Information technology is generally safe because it’s as much about helping humans use technology as it is about managing networks. Manufacturing processes may be automated, but it is unlikely to see artificial intelligence writing automation AI any time soon. Construction managers and project managers are concerned with managing people doing complex jobs that are difficult to quantify which AI is not good at. Financial analysts, on the other had, are much closer to having their jobs automated, as are accountants. There are currently artificial intelligences working as lawyers. Some fields will integrate AI as a tool but remain dominated by humans. Political science, for instance, may use AI to help crunch the numbers but there will always be a human component to political science that AI will have a hard time rivaling in the near future. Software engineers may use AI as tool to help with debugging and some of the more tedious tasks. But it will likely be a long time before AI can replace software engineers.
It’s important to consider these things when considering college majors. With the speed at which technology is developing, the job market becomes less and less predictable as jobs can be replaced at a faster rate every year. The question isn’t whether certain college majors will remain relevant in five or even ten years, but 20 or 30 years down the line. This is why computer science is such a good field. There are currently lots of unfilled computer science jobs. But computer research scientists, programmers, and computer engineers are the driving force behind the changes in the job markets and thus unlikely to write themselves out of a job too soon. Computer science is a great college major whether you stop at an undergraduate degree or go all the way up to a computer science PhD.
Any tips on how to afford these degrees?
Yes! Financial aid is abundant for bachelor’s and many master’s degrees. The first stop should always be FAFSA. Do your research and find out when FAFSA applications open for each year and fill yours out as early as possible. There is a lot of federal financial aid, but it is not infinite. FAFSA grants and loans are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. So the earlier you apply, the more likely you are to receive the most aid possible. FAFSA funds are not as abundant for graduate degrees. It is important to remember that many of the career paths featured here require both experience and a graduate degree for advanced positions. So while you gain experience, try to land a job that supports advanced education through benefits. Many jobs will pay for part or all of your advanced degree as long as you agree to work for them a certain amount of time after completing your degree. If you decide to leave after earning your degree you may need to pay back this money, however.
Independent scholarships and grants are another great resource. Many colleges offer these through their financial aid departments. Some are offered by third party organizations and individuals. We have many articles on this very website for this type of aid, including some very niche scholarships like those for left-handed people. That article is linked below. Many scholarships will be tied to specific college majors or a specific set of college majors. These are particularly attractive because it narrows down the competition quite a bit.
Which of the college majors in this ranking is the best college major?
Strictly speaking, there is no best college major. However, that’s not very helpful, is it? The important thing is to figure out the best college major for you. A daunting task for anyone. My recommendation for determining your best college major is to examine the majors and examine yourself. Create a pool of your top contenders based on information like we provide in our rankings. Then do some soul searching, and even more research, and try to determine which is the best college major for you. For instance, perhaps you are interested in engineering. But there are many kinds of engineering, so which is the best major for you personally? For instance, take mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering. Similar pay, similar expected growth for jobs, there may even be some overlap between the two fields. Which is the right pick? It can be difficult to determine. You could make the choice based on statistics. For instance, while the percentage growth rate is the same, biomedical engineering will add 1,100 jobs over the same amount of time mechanical engineering will add over 40,000. However, say you are significantly more interested in biomedical engineering. This is a great profession! Don’t let some minor statistical discrepancies sway you to a profession you are much less excited about. The Bureau of Labor Statistics can be useful in guiding your career path, but don’t let mere statistics make the choice for you.
If you are having trouble, consider taking a free open course through one of the many websites that offer them. See if you like studying the kinds of things that the major entails. Does the class interest you, or do you find it too boring? In the end, if you are bored by the content of the major, you might be bored by the profession. Though that is certainly not always the case. Sometimes a profession is much more interesting to practice than it is to learn. In the end, only you can determine your best college major.
GCD Staff
Updated: June 2022
Other articles of interest:
20 Highest Paying Bachelor Degrees