Some 44% of U.S. adults regret their choice of college major, according to a survey by Dreambound.com. If they could do it all over again, 13% reportedly would major in Computer Science while 8% would choose Business.
“STEM majors are most likely to be satisfied with their major,” reported Dreambound, “likely because of the higher salaries and job opportunities. It’s also no surprise that Computer Science is so popular given how the field has exploded in recent years.”
Education majors, however, were found to be among the most dissatisfied, with 53% wishing they had studied something else. Unhappiness among teachers peaked during COVID.
Almost half of humanities and arts majors regret their choice, and enrollment in those disciplines is shrinking rapidly, according to a report in The Washington Post.
“When he delivered his 2011 State of the Union address in the shadow of the Great Recession, former president Barack Obama plugged math and science education and called on Americans to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world,” explained the Washington Post. “Since then, the number of new graduates in the arts and humanities has plunged.”
Studies do not find a relationship between students’ regrets and the amount of loans taken out, the prestige of their college, or their race or gender. However, Federal data does indicate that the higher one’s income, the less regret is expressed over the choice of college major.
A study released by economists at ZipRecruiter listed the top three “most regretted college majors” as Journalism (87%), and Sociology and Liberal Arts/General Studies (both at 72%). In 4th and 5th place were Communications (64%) and Education (61%).
The top three “regret-free college majors,” all above 70%, were Computer/Information Sciences, Criminology, and Engineering. Following close behind were Nursing (69%), Health (67%), Business Administration and Finance (66%), and Psychology and Construction Trades (65%).
Students looking ahead to their college years would do well to carefully consider their choice of major, and learn as much as possible about the career options they would pursue, before seeking to identify their best fit college. Studies in recent years indicate that students’ choice of major will likely have a much greater impact on their future success and happiness than the particular college from which they graduate.
Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362
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