The Top 10 College Majors

Business majors dominate American higher education with 5.37% of all four-year students, while engineering and computer science graduates command the highest starting salaries at $78,731 and $76,251 respectively. As Fall 2024 enrollment data reveals a 4.5% overall increase in college attendance—the strongest growth since the pandemic—students are making strategic choices that balance passion with financial security.

According to the latest data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center and the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Winter 2025 Salary Survey, the college major landscape shows clear winners and losers. While STEM fields continue their dominance with robust salary growth, social sciences face a concerning 3.6% salary decrease for the Class of 2025—the first negative projection in recent history.

This comprehensive analysis examines the 10 most popular majors based on Fall 2024 enrollment data and 2025 salary projections, providing prospective students with the most current information to make informed educational decisions.

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The current state of college enrollment

Total postsecondary enrollment reached 19.28 million students in Fall 2024, marking a significant 4.5% increase from 2023 and nearly recovering to pre-pandemic levels. This growth is particularly noteworthy given the demographic challenges facing higher education.

First-year student enrollment surged by 5.5%, representing approximately 130,000 new students—a dramatic reversal from initial concerns about declining interest in college. Interestingly, older students drove much of this growth, with enrollment among 21-24 year-olds increasing 16.7% and students 25 and older jumping 19.7%, compared to just 3.4% growth among 18-year-olds.

Undergraduate certificate programs are experiencing explosive growth, up 9.9% in Fall 2024, suggesting students are increasingly seeking shorter pathways to employment. Bachelor's degree programs grew 2.9%, associate degrees climbed 6.3%, demonstrating renewed confidence in higher education's value.

However, regional disparities exist. While states like Utah saw 9% enrollment increases, six states experienced declines. The demographic reality remains challenging: the number of 18-year-olds is projected to continue declining, making enrollment gains even more significant.

1. Business: The enduring favorite

Enrollment: 5.37% of all four-year undergraduates (Fall 2024)
Starting Salary (Class of 2025): $65,276 average (up 2.1% from 2024)
Job Market: Finance and business administration majors tie for most in-demand, with 67.1% of employers planning to hire

Business maintains its decades-long position as America's most popular major, and current data shows why. The field offers unmatched versatility, with half of the top 10 most in-demand bachelor's degrees falling within business specializations.

Salary projections for 2025 show positive movement across most business concentrations. Management Information Systems graduates top the business salary rankings at $73,695, while accounting majors command $61,448 and marketing students start at $52,988. Finance majors are particularly hot, sharing the #1 spot for employer demand alongside computer science.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects business and financial occupations will add 942,500 job openings annually through 2034. Business schools have responded to market demands by integrating technology throughout curricula, with data analytics, fintech, and AI becoming standard components of business education.

What's driving popularity: Students recognize that business degrees provide entry points across every industry sector. The NACE Job Outlook 2025 Spring Update confirms this versatility translates to employment, with business graduates from the Class of 2023 achieving an 84.9% employment or continuing education rate within six months.

The catch: Employers increasingly favor specialized business skills over general business degrees. Students who combine business education with technical capabilities, relevant internships, and clear specialization consistently outperform peers with only general business credentials.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Entry-level automation: 53% of market research analyst tasks and 67% of sales representative tasks could be automated by AI, while managerial roles face only 9-21% automation risk
• Accounting disruption: AI-powered bookkeeping services are replacing traditional accounting functions, making entry-level positions increasingly vulnerable
• Administrative reduction: Business administrative assistants face high automation exposure as AI handles scheduling, data entry, and routine correspondence
• Financial analysis displacement: Robo-advisors and algorithmic trading are competing with entry-level financial analysts for basic portfolio management

Opportunities:

• AI business strategy: Growing demand for professionals who can identify AI use cases and implement them across business functions—combining business acumen with tech fluency
• Data-driven decision making: Business analysts who can interpret AI-generated insights and translate them into strategic recommendations command 43% wage premiums
• AI implementation management: Project managers overseeing AI adoption across organizations are among the fastest-growing business roles
• Hybrid roles: Positions combining traditional business skills with AI literacy (like AI product managers) show explosive salary growth—PwC reports wages rising twice as quickly in AI-exposed business industries

2. Health professions: Meeting critical demand

Enrollment: Growing faster than any major field
Starting Salary (Class of 2025): $64,000+ for registered nurses
Job Market: 1.9 million annual job openings projected through 2034

Healthcare represents the fastest-growing segment of higher education, with enrollment surging across nursing, public health, and health science programs. This growth directly addresses critical workforce shortages, particularly pronounced since the pandemic.

The field offers exceptional job security. Healthcare employment is projected to grow 16% from 2020-2030—the fastest rate of any sector. Specific roles show even more dramatic demand: nurse practitioners face 40% job growth through 2033, physician assistants 28%, and substance abuse counselors will see 81,000 new positions created.

Financial returns are compelling. Registered nurses earn $93,600 median annually according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024), though starting salaries typically begin around $64,000. Advanced practice roles command significantly higher compensation: nurse practitioners earn $129,480 median, physician assistants $130,020, and certified registered nurse anesthetists average $223,210.

What's driving popularity: The combination of altruistic motivation and practical security creates unique appeal. Students recognize healthcare as recession-proof, with consistent job additions regardless of economic conditions. The aging American population—seniors will outnumber children for the first time by 2034—ensures sustained demand.

The reality: Most professional healthcare roles require advanced degrees plus state licensure, extending time and cost of preparation. Despite these challenges, employment rates for healthcare graduates remain among the highest of any major due to persistent provider shortages.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Diagnostic automation: AI can analyze medical images and detect diseases with precision matching or exceeding humans in specific tasks, potentially reducing some radiologic technician positions
• Documentation burden shifting: AI-powered note-taking and clinical documentation could change workflow expectations, with 60% of nurses not trusting employers to prioritize patient safety when implementing AI
• Surveillance concerns: Mass surveillance technologies in healthcare facilities raise privacy issues and increase liability risks for nurses whose licenses may be on the line for AI errors
• Task fragmentation: Over-reliance on AI threatens to fragment nurses' complex, holistic knowledge into discrete automated tasks, undermining professional judgment

Opportunities:

• Workload reduction: AI nursing robots can reduce nurse workload by up to 30% by handling repetitive tasks like medication delivery, patient guiding, and basic monitoring—freeing nurses for complex care
• Predictive patient care: AI systems analyze real-time data to forecast health deteriorations, giving nursing staff crucial windows to intervene and reducing emergency rates
• Administrative automation: AI automates time-consuming tasks like scheduling, drug inventory management, and documentation through natural language processing
• New specializations: Emerging roles in healthcare informatics, clinical decision support, AI implementation, and data analysis offer nurses career paths earning $83k-$155k while combining clinical expertise with technology
• Enhanced monitoring: Wearables and AI-powered devices offer continuous real-time monitoring of vital signs, enabling early intervention
• Personalized learning: AI facilitates tailored training experiences for nurses, identifying development areas and delivering customized content

Bottom line: Nurse practitioners project 45.7% growth through 2033—the highest of any occupation—as AI augments rather than replaces healthcare professionals. The human touch, empathy, ethical judgment, and complex decision-making in patient care cannot be replicated by machines.

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3. Computer science: Commanding premium salaries

Enrollment: 5.5% growth at four-year institutions in Fall 2024 (down from 10% in 2022-2023) Starting Salary (Class of 2025): $76,251 average (up 2.0%) Job Market: 355,000 computing job openings with only 90,000 CS graduates—massive talent shortage

Computer science graduates continue commanding top salaries despite slight enrollment moderation. The field shows remarkable stability with all reported specializations receiving higher salaries in 2025: computer science majors start at $76,251 (up 1.7%), information sciences at $74,778 (up 1.8%), and software applications at $68,680 (up 2.5%).

The talent shortage is unprecedented. Nearly 355,000 computing job openings exist with only 90,000 annual CS graduates, leaving companies "eager—if not desperate" for talent according to BLS assessments. Computer science ranks as the most in-demand major, with 22.2% of employers in the NACE survey planning to hire these graduates—the highest of any field.

Specific career paths show explosive growth: information security analysts lead at 29% projected growth with $124,910 median wages, computer and information research scientists show 20% growth at $140,910 median, and software developers command $130,160 median salaries with strong sustained demand.

What's driving popularity: Students recognize computer science's versatility across all industries, remote work flexibility, and continuous innovation opportunities in AI, cybersecurity, and software development. The median wage of $105,990 is more than double the median for all occupations.

The challenge: Despite strong prospects, the educational pipeline struggles to meet demand, creating strain on STEM programs nationwide. Traditional roles like network administration (-4%) and computer support (-3%) are declining due to automation, requiring students to focus on emerging specializations.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Entry-level compression: Young software engineers (ages 20-30) in AI-exposed occupations experienced 13% employment decline since late 2022, with unemployment rising 3 percentage points—higher than older tech workers
• Code automation: AI tools like GitHub Copilot are reducing demand for junior programmers, as companies can accomplish more with fewer early-career developers
• Skills devaluation: 49% of Gen Z job seekers believe AI has reduced the value of their college education, particularly in computer science
• Task replacement: Positions involving routine coding, debugging, and basic software development face automation as AI handles these functions with increasing competence

Opportunities:

• AI development roles: Explosive demand for machine learning engineers, AI specialists, and prompt engineers—with 1.8% of all US job postings requiring AI skills in 2025 (up from 1.4% in 2023)
• Augmentation positions: Jobs where AI augments rather than automates work show no employment decline—focusing on AI integration and complex problem-solving
• Cybersecurity boom: 32% projected growth for information security analysts through 2032 as AI-enabled threats increase, with median wages of $124,910
• Specialized AI roles: Computer and information research scientists show 20% growth at $140,910 median salary, focusing on advancing AI capabilities
• Leadership pipeline: 28% of software engineering executives expect workforce increases due to generative AI adoption, suggesting strong demand for those who can lead AI initiatives
• Reduced skill barriers: LinkedIn/GitHub studies show AI tools enable companies to hire engineers with fewer advanced programming skills, democratizing entry into tech

4. Engineering: Top-paid graduates

Enrollment: Approximately 6% of bachelor's degrees; slight 4% recent decline
Starting Salary (Class of 2025): $78,731 average (up 2.6%)—highest of all majors
Job Market: 195,000 annual job openings; 8.6% projected growth through 2033

Engineering graduates command the highest starting salaries of any major in 2025, with computer engineering leading at $82,565 (up 6.5%) and software engineering close behind at $82,536 (up 5.8%). Even traditional engineering disciplines offer strong returns, with mechanical and civil engineering typically starting in the $70,000-$75,000 range.

At the master's level, the story is even more compelling: engineering salaries are projected to increase by 12.5% for the Class of 2025, reaching an average of $94,086—the largest increase of any graduate field.

The job market remains robust despite some shifts between specializations. Industrial engineering shows the highest growth rate at 12.2%, while AI and machine learning engineering projects 26% growth. Traditional fields like nuclear (-0.8%) and aerospace (-2.3%) show modest declines, but overall engineering prospects remain exceptional with median wages of $91,420—more than double the national average.

What's driving popularity: Students choose engineering for problem-solving opportunities, innovation potential, and financial stability. The major offers recession-proof careers with cross-industry applicability, ensuring built-in career resilience even during economic downturns.

The reality: Engineering requires strong quantitative skills and persistence through rigorous coursework. Rapid technological change demands continuous learning and adaptation, but for students with genuine interest in technical problem-solving, engineering offers the most reliable path to high-earning, stable careers.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Design automation: Generative design tools and AI-powered engineering software can automatically create optimal designs, potentially reducing need for entry-level design engineering positions
• Manufacturing displacement: MIT and Boston University report AI will replace as many as 2 million manufacturing workers by 2025, affecting industrial and manufacturing engineers
• Routine task automation: AI efficiently handles debugging, testing, and optimization tasks that traditionally occupied junior engineers
• CAD evolution: Advanced AI in computer-aided design could compress timelines and reduce team sizes for certain engineering projects

Opportunities:

• AI systems engineering: Growing demand for engineers who design, build, and optimize AI systems themselves—including electrical engineers for AI chips (9.1% growth projected)
• Human-AI collaboration: Engineers who can work alongside AI tools, using automation for routine tasks while focusing on complex judgment and creative problem-solving, command higher compensation
• Cross-functional expertise: Modern engineering teams need professionals comfortable communicating across disciplines—data scientists, software developers, product managers—creating demand for versatile engineers
• Emerging specializations: AI/machine learning engineering (26% growth), renewable energy systems, autonomous vehicles, and robotics offer explosive opportunities
• Enhanced productivity: Tools like GitHub Copilot, MATLAB AI, and digital twins enable engineers to experiment and iterate faster, increasing value per engineer
• Upskilling advantages: PwC reports engineers with AI skills earn a 43% wage premium over peers in the same roles without AI capabilities
• Design optimization: Rather than replacing engineers, AI tools are enabling more sophisticated designs and faster innovation cycles, increasing demand for engineering judgment

Bottom line: Electrical and electronics engineers (9.1% growth), computer hardware engineers (7.2% growth), and engineering technologists all show strong positive projections through 2033 as AI augments rather than replaces engineering work.

5. Social sciences & history: Challenging prospects

Enrollment: 7% of bachelor's degrees; dropped 6% from 2021 to 2022
Starting Salary (Class of 2025): Projected decrease of 3.6%—only major with negative salary movement
Job Market: 144,700 annual job openings; median wages $78,980

Social sciences face the most challenging employment landscape among popular majors. The Class of 2025 faces the first projected salary decrease in recent history at -3.6%, signaling employers' shifting priorities away from liberal arts training toward technical specializations.

Despite these headwinds, the major attracts students with 81% reporting they selected their field based on love of subject rather than financial considerations. This passion-driven choice reflects intellectual curiosity about social, economic, political, and cultural forces shaping society.

Career paths remain ambiguous and varied. Political scientists earn $122,220 median annually—the highest-paying social science career—while sociologists and historians typically start around $45,000-$54,000. Many graduates enter secondary education, public relations ($66,750 median, 6.2% growth), market research, or policy analysis.

What's driving interest: Students persist in social sciences for the desire to understand complex societal issues, pursue careers in policy or advocacy, and develop critical thinking skills applicable across contexts. The pandemic increased interest in understanding social dynamics and public health policy.

The reality: Employers increasingly emphasize technical abilities over liberal arts training. Communications-related roles show particularly tough prospects with median wages of $57,000—below the college graduate average of $65,677. However, emerging research suggests uniquely human capabilities like cross-cultural competency, ethical reasoning, and complex communication may become more valuable as automation transforms the workforce. Graduates who effectively market these transferable skills and pursue specialization through graduate education or professional credentials can overcome initial salary disadvantages, with some fields showing 70% salary increases from early to mid-career.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Research automation: Market research analysts face 53% of their tasks being automatable by AI—among the highest rates of any profession
• Data analysis displacement: AI can process vast datasets, identify patterns, and generate reports faster than human analysts, reducing demand for entry-level research positions
• Content synthesis: AI tools can summarize academic papers, compile literature reviews, and synthesize information across sources, threatening traditional research assistant roles
• Survey and polling automation: Automated data collection and analysis tools reduce need for human researchers in certain social science methodologies

Opportunities:

• Ethical AI oversight: Growing need for social scientists to evaluate AI bias, ensure fairness in algorithms, and assess societal impacts—roles requiring deep understanding of human behavior and social systems
• Qualitative research: AI struggles with nuanced interviews, ethnographic studies, and interpreting complex social dynamics, maintaining demand for trained social scientists
• Policy and regulation: As AI transforms society, political scientists and policy analysts are needed to craft regulations, assess impacts, and guide ethical implementation
• Cross-cultural intelligence: Globalization and AI's limitations in understanding cultural context create opportunities for anthropologists and sociologists in international contexts
• Human-centered design: UX researchers with social science backgrounds are increasingly valuable for ensuring AI systems serve human needs
• Strategic interpretation: While AI generates data, social scientists are needed to interpret findings, provide context, and translate insights into actionable strategies

Bottom line: Social scientists who combine traditional training with data literacy, AI understanding, and the ability to tackle questions machines can't answer will find the strongest opportunities. Political scientists ($122,220 median) and specialized roles show resilience, while entry-level positions face compression.

6. Biology & biomedical sciences

Enrollment: 7% of bachelor's degrees; more than doubled since 2000
Starting Salary (Class of 2025): $40,688 for entry-level lab technicians
Job Market: 35% underemployment rate; 413,120 life sciences job openings (Jan-Aug 2022)

Biology enrollment surged 103% over the past 15 years, driven primarily by pre-medical students. However, this creates significant supply-demand imbalances, resulting in the second-highest underemployment rate among all majors at 35%.

The fundamental tension is between student aspirations and labor market realities. While many biology majors plan medical school, competitive admissions mean most don't achieve this goal. Those entering the workforce with only a bachelor's degree often face limited options, primarily entry-level laboratory technician positions starting around $40,688 annually—well below the college graduate average.

For students completing advanced degrees or entering expanding sectors, prospects improve dramatically. Medical scientists earn $100,590 median wages with 9% projected growth, biochemists command $100,370 with 19% growth, and biomedical engineers earn $100,730. Emerging fields like computational biology offer $97,652 median wages with 21% projected growth.

What's driving popularity: Passion for understanding life sciences, desire to contribute to scientific advancement, recognition of growing biotechnology sector, and primarily preparation for medical school motivate students. Northwestern University surveys found 42% of biology graduates pursued post-undergraduate education—the highest rate among majors.

The critical issue: Two-thirds of underemployed biology graduates remain underemployed for five years, making initial career choices particularly consequential. Students report lacking guidance on career paths outside medical or doctoral programs, suggesting universities should better support workforce-bound biology majors.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Lab automation: AI and robotics can perform routine laboratory procedures, sample preparation, and basic testing, threatening entry-level lab technician positions ($40,688 starting salary)
• Data analysis automation: Machine learning can identify patterns in biological data, analyze genomic sequences, and predict protein structures—tasks previously requiring human researchers
• Diagnostic imaging: AI systems can analyze medical images, pathology slides, and microscopy data with high accuracy, reducing demand for some technical roles
• Research assistant displacement: Automated literature reviews, data extraction, and experimental design optimization may reduce need for junior research positions

Opportunities:

• Computational biology: Explosive 21% growth with $97,652 median wages for professionals who combine biological knowledge with programming and AI skills
• Bioinformatics specialists: Analyzing massive genomic datasets using AI/machine learning tools creates high-demand niche requiring both biology and data science expertise
• CRISPR and gene editing: AI-powered gene editing design and optimization requires human oversight and biological expertise, creating new specialized roles
• Personalized medicine: AI enables tailored treatments based on individual genetics, requiring biologists to interpret and apply these technologies clinically
• Drug discovery: AI accelerates identification of drug candidates, but human biologists are essential for experimental validation and understanding biological mechanisms
• Synthetic biology: Designing new biological systems using AI tools requires deep biological knowledge combined with technical proficiency
• AI-enhanced research: Biologists who can leverage AI tools for hypothesis generation, experimental design, and data analysis dramatically increase their productivity and value

Bottom line: The biotechnology boom (413,120 job openings Jan-Aug 2022, 28% higher than previous year) creates opportunities for biology graduates who develop AI/data science skills alongside traditional biological training. Medical scientists (9% growth, $100,590 median) and biochemists (19% growth, $100,370 median) show strong prospects when combined with technical competencies.

7. Psychology: High interest, difficult outcomes

Enrollment: 6% of bachelor's degrees; 140,711 degrees in 2023
Starting Salary (Class of 2025): $40,000-$45,000
Job Market: 38% underemployment rate; 12,800 annual psychology job openings

Psychology faces the highest underemployment rate at 38%, creating a stark disconnect between student interest and labor market outcomes. Students choose the major primarily to help others and understand human behavior, with 81% selecting based on passion rather than financial considerations.

The post-pandemic mental health crisis intensified interest in the field, with growing societal awareness of wellness, therapy, and behavioral health. However, most professional psychology positions require at minimum a master's degree, often a doctorate, plus state licensure—a pathway taking 6-10+ years beyond the bachelor's degree.

For those completing advanced training, career prospects are strong. Psychologists earned $105,780 median annual wages in 2024, with BLS projecting 6% growth and 12,800 annual job openings. High-growth specializations include substance abuse and mental health counselors (17% growth, 81,000 new jobs), psychiatric technicians (16% growth), and industrial-organizational psychologists in corporate settings.

What's driving popularity: Desire to help others, understand human behavior, growing awareness of mental health importance, and psychology's versatile skill set including research, analysis, and communication abilities that transfer across careers.

The challenge: Intense competition due to the field's popularity creates a "fierce" job market. Entry-level positions with only a bachelor's degree typically start around $40,000-$45,000 in roles like research assistant or mental health technician—serving as stepping stones to graduate education rather than terminal career positions.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Basic counseling automation: AI chatbots and mental health apps provide preliminary support, screening, and basic cognitive behavioral therapy, potentially reducing demand for some entry-level mental health positions
• Research assistant displacement: AI can conduct literature reviews, analyze psychological research data, and identify patterns in behavioral datasets more efficiently than humans
• Assessment scoring: Automated psychological testing, scoring, and initial interpretation could reduce some psychometric technician roles
• Therapy note-taking: AI-powered documentation and session transcription may change administrative aspects of clinical practice

Opportunities:

• AI-resistant therapeutic alliance: Human therapeutic relationships, empathy, trust-building, and crisis judgment cannot be replicated by AI—the core of clinical psychology remains secure (22% growth for mental health counselors)
• Specialized counseling: Complex cases, trauma therapy, family systems work, and substance abuse counseling (17% growth, 81,000 new jobs) require nuanced human judgment AI lacks
• AI ethics and design: Psychologists needed to design ethical AI systems, evaluate mental health apps, and ensure technologies serve human wellbeing
• Human-AI collaboration research: Growing field studying how humans interact with AI, requiring expertise in cognitive psychology, human factors, and behavior
• Workplace psychology: Industrial-organizational psychologists adapting organizations to AI-driven change are increasingly in demand
• Digital mental health design: Psychologists who can combine clinical expertise with understanding of AI capabilities to create effective mental health technologies
• Supervision and oversight: As AI tools proliferate in mental health, licensed psychologists are essential for oversight, quality assurance, and handling complex cases

Bottom line: The post-pandemic mental health crisis drives demand (psychologists earn $105,780 median with 6% growth), and while AI may handle simple support, the complexity of human emotion, the need for genuine empathy, and accountability requirements ensure psychology remains a human-centered profession. Social workers, therapists, and counselors rank among the most "AI-proof" careers.

8. Visual & performing arts

Enrollment: 4.5% of bachelor's degrees; steady enrollment
Starting Salary (Class of 2025): $37,286-$52,654
Job Market: 84,900 annual openings; slower than average growth

Visual and performing arts graduates earn the lowest median starting salaries yet report over 50% satisfaction with work flexibility, independence, and societal contribution. The field projects 84,900 annual openings through 2034, mostly replacement needs rather than growth positions.

Art directors represent the highest-earning specialty at $100,890 median wages with 11% growth, while performers and traditional artists often combine employment and freelance work. The arts face high rates of part-time work (53%) and temporary contracts (35.5%), with 54% of artists self-employed—offering autonomy that employed workers rarely experience.

Growing demand for digital content creation, UX/UI design, and multimedia production offers optimism. Interdisciplinary applications increasingly value creative skills in technology, healthcare, and business sectors, creating non-traditional career pathways.

What's driving popularity: Creative expression, personal fulfillment, and skill development beyond art—recognizing that training develops critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication abilities valuable across careers. Research demonstrates arts degrees increase both likelihood of working in the arts industry and earnings compared to non-arts degrees for those pursuing creative careers.

The reality: Students prioritize purpose over paycheck, accepting lower initial earnings for creative fulfillment and work autonomy. Those who develop digital skills and explore interdisciplinary applications expand career opportunities significantly.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Basic design automation: AI can generate logos, layouts, and simple graphics based on prompts, threatening routine graphic design work
• Content generation: AI writing tools and image generators (63% of companies use generative AI for text outputs) can produce basic creative content faster and cheaper than humans
• Photography editing: Automated photo enhancement, background removal, and basic editing reduce demand for entry-level photo editing positions
• Music/audio production: AI can generate background music, sound effects, and basic compositions, affecting commercial music production roles
• Proofreading and copyediting: AI writing tools catch errors, restructure sentences, improve tone, and offer stylistic suggestions, automating mechanical editing aspects

Opportunities:

• Creative direction: While AI generates content, humans provide creative strategy, emotional resonance, cultural context, and authentic perspective—art directors show 11% growth at $100,890 median
• AI-assisted creation: 94% of creative professionals use AI tools, but 86% report these enhance rather than replace their work—creatives using AI show higher productivity and wages
• UX/UI design: Demand for designers who understand human psychology, accessibility, and user experience remains strong—AI struggles with complex user needs and cultural sensitivity
• Digital content creation: Growth in multimedia production, video editing, motion graphics, and interactive content creates opportunities for tech-savvy creatives
• Brand storytelling: Authentic narratives, emotional connection, and cultural relevance require human creativity—AI generates patterns but not genuine stories
• Prompt engineering for creatives: New role helping others effectively use AI creative tools, combining artistic vision with technical understanding
• AI art direction: Guiding AI systems to produce desired aesthetic outcomes, curating AI-generated options, and ensuring brand consistency

Bottom line: Creative professionals who position themselves as strategic thinkers and cultural interpreters—using AI as a tool rather than competing with it—will thrive. Choreographers (29.7% growth), creative directors, and those in interdisciplinary applications (technology, healthcare, business) show strongest prospects.

9. Education: Teacher shortage creates opportunity

Enrollment: 4.5% of bachelor's degrees; declined to half its level from 50 years ago
Starting Salary (Class of 2025): $46,526 (up 4.4%—largest increase in 15 years)
Job Market: Critical shortages in special education, STEM subjects, bilingual education

Education faces dramatic enrollment decline yet saw its largest salary increase in 15 years, with starting salaries rising to $46,526 in 2025 (up 4.4%). National average teacher salaries reached $74,177, up 3% from the previous year, though geographic variation is substantial—California teachers average $101,084 while Montana teachers start at just $35,674.

The BLS projects mixed growth by level: kindergarten and elementary teachers face -2% decline with 103,800 annual openings, but special education shows 3-4% growth and preschool teachers 7% growth. Critical teacher shortages exist in high-need specializations—one in eight teaching positions remains either unfilled or filled by uncertified teachers.

What's driving interest: Altruistic motivation, perceiving teaching as a vocation rather than merely a job, recognition of stable employment and work-life balance including summers off. The field expects 20% job growth by 2026, particularly in high-need areas.

The challenges: Lower starting salaries than comparably educated professionals, high burnout rates, unrealistic workload expectations, and declining benefits. Yet teaching offers geographic mobility, meaningful societal impact, professional development opportunities, and pension benefits in many states.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Automated grading: AI can grade multiple-choice tests, essays, and even provide feedback on writing, reducing some grading workload but also potentially changing teacher roles
• Adaptive learning platforms: Personalized AI tutoring systems can deliver customized instruction based on student performance, raising questions about class size and teacher allocation
• Content delivery: AI can present information, answer basic questions, and provide drill practice, automating some instructional delivery aspects
• Administrative tasks: Attendance, scheduling, and routine communication could be increasingly automated

Opportunities:

• AI-augmented teaching: Rather than replacing teachers, AI handles routine tasks (grading, drill practice) while teachers focus on mentorship, critical thinking development, and social-emotional learning
• Personalized instruction support: AI platforms identify struggling students and learning gaps, enabling teachers to provide targeted interventions more effectively
• Enhanced lesson planning: AI tools help teachers create differentiated materials, find resources, and adapt curriculum faster, increasing instructional quality
• Special education empowerment: AI assistive technologies enable teachers to better serve diverse learners, with specialized tools for various disabilities and learning styles
• Professional development: AI provides personalized learning experiences for teachers themselves, identifying skill gaps and delivering tailored training
• Classroom management insights: AI analytics help teachers understand classroom dynamics, student engagement patterns, and behavioral trends
• Human connection premium: As automation increases, the value of teachers who provide empathy, cultural sensitivity, motivation, and on-the-fly adaptation to emotional needs becomes even more critical

Bottom line: Teaching ranks among the most "AI-proof" professions because effective education requires genuine human connection, adaptability, and nuanced understanding that machines cannot replicate. Special education teachers (3-4% growth), ESL specialists, and STEM teachers face particularly strong demand as AI tools enhance rather than replace their work. Microsoft research shows farm/home management educators and postsecondary teachers have higher AI applicability, but the UK's NHS example shows teaching's "unrepetitive, unique tasks" resist full automation.

10. Communication & journalism

Enrollment: 4% of bachelor's degrees; stable for two decades
Starting Salary (Class of 2025): $60,353 (down 3% from 2024)
Job Market: Traditional journalism declining; PR and corporate communications growing

Communication and journalism face industry transformation, with starting salaries dropping 3% to $60,353 for Class of 2025. Journalism jobs declined 35% since 2002, with traditional journalism roles projecting -3% to -4% decline through 2031 and median wages of $49,300—well below the college graduate average.

However, only 15% of communications graduates become editors, reporters, or news analysts—most transition to alternative careers. Public relations specialists show 12% growth at $54,940 median salary, content marketing demonstrates strong demand, and corporate communications offers higher compensation than traditional journalism. Media and communication workers overall earn $70,300 median—$21,000 more than journalists.

What's driving popularity: Storytelling passion, versatility of skills, and desire to contribute to informed democracy. Communication competency ranks as the most important capability by employers according to NACE 2024 surveys, suggesting long-term value despite short-term industry disruption.

The opportunity: Students who emphasize versatility beyond traditional journalism, develop digital media skills, and target growing specializations like content marketing and corporate communications can overcome negative industry trends.

What AI Could Change: Risks & Opportunities

Risks:

• Automated journalism: AI can generate basic news stories, earnings reports, sports summaries, and weather updates, reducing demand for entry-level reporting positions
• Content generation at scale: 63% of companies use generative AI for text outputs, enabling faster, cheaper content production without human writers
• Copywriting automation: Marketing copy, product descriptions, and social media posts can be AI-generated, threatening traditional copywriting roles
• Research and fact-gathering: AI can quickly compile information, verify facts, and summarize sources faster than human researchers
• Translation services: Automated translation reduces demand for human translators—one of the highest AI applicability scores in Microsoft research

Opportunities:

• Strategic communication: While AI generates words, humans provide strategy, understand stakeholder needs, navigate crises, and build relationships—public relations specialists show 12% growth
• Investigative journalism: Complex investigative work requiring source cultivation, ethical judgment, and synthesizing disparate information remains distinctly human
• Brand voice development: Creating authentic, culturally resonant brand narratives and maintaining consistent voice across channels requires human insight
• AI content editing: Growing need for editors who can refine AI-generated content, ensuring accuracy, tone, and brand alignment
• Digital storytelling: Multimedia journalists who combine video, audio, text, and interactive elements in compelling ways remain valuable
• Content strategy: Planning what content to create, for whom, and why requires understanding audience psychology and business goals beyond AI's current capabilities
• Media ethics oversight: As AI-generated content proliferates, human journalists are essential for fact-checking, ethical review, and maintaining journalistic standards
• Prompt engineering for content: Specialists who can effectively use AI tools to produce high-quality content efficiently

Bottom line: While traditional journalism faces decline (-3 to -4% through 2031, $49,300 median), communications professionals who adapt to digital platforms, combine storytelling with data, and position themselves as strategic communicators rather than just writers find opportunities. Communication competency ranks as the most important capability by employers in NACE 2024 surveys, suggesting long-term value despite industry disruption.

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Key trends shaping major selection in 2025

Several cross-cutting trends are transforming how students choose majors and how those choices translate to career outcomes:

The skills-based hiring revolution: Less than 40% of employers now screen candidates by GPA according to NACE's Job Outlook 2025 Spring Update, while 90% emphasize competencies like communication, critical thinking, and teamwork. Nearly two-thirds of employers report using skills-based hiring practices all or most of the time, potentially benefiting liberal arts graduates who effectively articulate transferable skills.

Employer demand is concentrating: Finance and computer science tie for most in-demand majors at 67.1% of employers planning to hire. Accounting (65%), business administration (55%), and information sciences (53%) round out the top five. Half of the top 10 most sought-after degrees fall within business fields, underscoring continued market value of business education.

The hiring outlook remains positive despite mixed signals: Employers plan to hire 7.3% more graduates from the Class of 2025 than the Class of 2024, according to fall 2024 projections. However, by spring 2025, that projection had moderated to just 0.6% growth as economic uncertainty increased. Still, nearly 90% of employers anticipate increasing or maintaining hiring levels.

Short-term credentials are surging: Certificate programs increased 9.9% in Fall 2024, associate degrees rose 6.3%, while bachelor's degrees grew 2.9%. This suggests students increasingly seek faster pathways to employment, particularly in technical fields where certifications demonstrate specific competencies.

Graduate education is becoming prerequisite rather than optional: At the master's level, engineering salaries jumped 12.5% for Class of 2025 (to $94,086), while business master's degrees increased 3.1% (to $77,632). This significant premium for advanced degrees is reshaping educational pathways, particularly in healthcare, psychology, and biological sciences.

Making the right choice for your future

The data reveals a stratified landscape where major choice significantly impacts both immediate employment prospects and lifetime earnings. Engineering and computer science graduates enjoy $78,000+ starting salaries with strong growth trajectories, while psychology and arts majors begin around $40,000 with ambiguous career paths often requiring additional credentials.

For students choosing majors in 2025, consider:

Market demand: Finance, computer science, and accounting lead employer hiring plans. Engineering, healthcare, and business show consistent demand across economic cycles.

Salary trajectories: STEM and healthcare fields offer exceptional returns despite rigorous requirements. Social sciences and communications face headwinds with declining salary projections.

Your authentic interests: 81% of students who chose majors based on passion reported higher satisfaction, but must balance this with financial realities. Students with genuine liberal arts interest should pursue them while strategically developing complementary skills and planning for graduate education.

The new reality: A bachelor's degree alone no longer guarantees career success. Strategic choices about major, specialization, internships, and skills development determine outcomes in an increasingly competitive labor market where 43% of graduates face underemployment in their first job.

The fundamental shift is that success depends on more than major selection. Experiential learning through internships strongly correlates with higher career satisfaction across all fields. Specialization within broad categories—finance versus general business, cybersecurity versus general IT—creates differentiation in competitive markets.

Understanding these realities helps students make informed decisions aligning education with career goals in a job market that rewards strategic planning, technical skills, and adaptable expertise across traditional boundaries.

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Sources: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center Fall 2024 Final Enrollment Report; NACE Winter 2025 Salary Survey; NACE Job Outlook 2025 Spring Update; Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook 2024; National Center for Education Statistics 2021-2022 Degree Completions