Earning a college degree is expensive. Millions of Americans are still struggling to pay off tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt.
Worse, many workers later regret the major they chose in college.
Recently, the U.S. Federal Reserve conducted its latest annual survey of 11,000 U.S. adults The economic well-being of American families Report.
Among other questions, the Fed asked survey respondents whether they would choose a different field of study if they were in college today.
Overall, more than a third of respondents (35%) regretted choices they made as students. Those with the following majors were most likely to say they wished they could start over and choose another major to study.
1. Social/Behavioral Sciences
Respondents who have attended higher education courses in this field but would now choose a different area of study:44%
social and behavioral sciences Examine human behavior and explore the relationships between human behaviors. Sociology, psychology, and anthropology all fall under this field of study.
2. Humanities/Arts (tie)
Respondents who have attended higher education courses in this field but would now choose a different area of study: 43%
Humanities and Arts Majors cover a wide range of subjects, from art and music to religion, philosophy and history. Many graduates with these degrees go on to work as teachers or therapists.
3. Life Sciences (tied)
Respondents who have attended higher education courses in this field but would now choose a different area of study: 43%
life sciences Includes the study of all living organisms and their life processes. Majors in this field of study include Biology, Nutritional Sciences, and Zoology
Other majors I often regret
Studying the following majors also causes regret among college graduates:
- Legal: 41%
- Education level: 38%
- Undeclared/other: 37%
