Popular College Degrees
According to the U.S. Department of Education, business degrees are the most popular bachelor degrees conferred from 2007-08. Other more popular college degrees include social sciences and history, health sciences and education. For masters degrees, education and business were most popular.
In terms of growth, engineering and engineering technologies degrees are gaining in popularity. Other college degrees with higher growth are in the areas of business, health care, biological studies, visual and performing arts, and security/protective services.
Popular Online Degrees
As of January 2010, to most popular online degrees based on interest according to eLearners include:
1. Business Administration and MBA
2. Nursing
3. Psychology
4. Criminal Justice
5. Health Administration
6. Religion
7. Early Childhood Education
8. Counseling
9. Accounting
10. Human Services
Popular College Degrees for Women
Women now represent at least half of college students. Here are the top 5 most popular college majors:
1. Business - Women make up 49% of students studying as business major
2. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences – 85% of students are women
3. Social Sciences and History – 49.3% of students are women
4. Education – 78.7% of students are women
5. Psychology – 77.1% of students are women
(Source: Forbes.com, August 2010; U.S. Dept of Education)
Popular Degrees for Men
1. Business – Men represent 51% of students
2. Social Science and History – 50.7% of students are men
3. Engineering and Engineering Technologies – 83.2% of students are men
4. Visual and Performing Arts – 38.6% of students are men
5. Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services – 82.4% of students are men
(Source: Forbes.com, August 2010; U.S. Dept of Education)
College Degrees with Most Demand
Degrees in highest demand according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and have average starting salaries in the range of $40,000-$50,000 per year include:
· Accounting
· Mechanical Engineering
· Electrical Engineering
· Computer Science
· Business Administration/Business Management
· Economics/Finance
· Information Sciences & Systems
· Marketing/Marketing Management
· Computer Engineering
· Management Information Systems (MIS)
Bachelor Degrees with Highest Starting Salaries
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) in 2010, the bachelor degrees with highest starting salaries are:
· Petroleum Engineering - $86,200
· Chemical Engineering - $65,142
· Mining & Mineral Engineering - $64,552
· Computer Science - $61,205
· Computer Engineering - $60,879
· Electrical/Electronics & Communications Engineering - $59,074
· Mechanical Engineering - $58,392
· Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering - $57,734
· Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering - $57,231
· Information Sciences & Systems - $54,038
