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list of college majors

The Most Popular College Majors

The decision of what to major in is, well, major. Here, we give you some insight into what your peers are choosing by showing you the most popular majors across colleges in America.

Plus, this top 44 list of majors gives you the option to research the Best Colleges by Major, where you can view the Best Colleges for various STEM majors, Arts, Business, and more.

Explore our list of popular college majors and let it lead you to a college that’s right for you!

Rank Major Number of Degrees Awarded Ranking Name
Rank 1
Major Business and Management
Number of Degrees Awarded 289,384
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Business
Rank 2
Major Nursing
Number of Degrees Awarded 141,632
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Nursing
Rank 3
Major Psychology
Number of Degrees Awarded 127,066
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Psychology
Rank 4
Major Biology
Number of Degrees Awarded 120,375
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Biology
Rank 5
Major Engineering
Number of Degrees Awarded 117,553
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Engineering
Rank 6
Major Education
Number of Degrees Awarded 102,219
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Education
Rank 7
Major Communications
Number of Degrees Awarded 98,949
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Communications
Rank 8
Major Finance and Accounting
Number of Degrees Awarded 98,663
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Accounting
Rank 9
Major Criminal Justice
Number of Degrees Awarded 63,961
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Criminal Justice
Rank 10
Major Anthropology and Sociology
Number of Degrees Awarded 57,630
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Anthropology
Rank 11
Major Computer Science
Number of Degrees Awarded 55,843
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Computer Science
Rank 12
Major English
Number of Degrees Awarded 44,121
Ranking Name Best Colleges for English
Rank 13
Major Economics
Number of Degrees Awarded 39,022
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Economics
Rank 14
Major Political Science
Number of Degrees Awarded 38,630
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Political Science
Rank 15
Major History
Number of Degrees Awarded 37,640
Ranking Name Best Colleges for History
Rank 16
Major Kinesiology and Physical Therapy
Number of Degrees Awarded 37,085
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Physical Therapy
Rank 17
Major Health Professions
Number of Degrees Awarded 35,733
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Health Professions
Rank 18
Major Art
Number of Degrees Awarded 29,022
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Art
Rank 19
Major Math
Number of Degrees Awarded 28,732
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Math
Rank 20
Major Environmental Science
Number of Degrees Awarded 27,031
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Environmental Science
Rank 21
Major Foreign Languages
Number of Degrees Awarded 23,204
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Foreign Languages
Rank 22
Major Design
Number of Degrees Awarded 19,254
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Design
Rank 23
Major Trades and Personal Services
Number of Degrees Awarded 16,960
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Trades and Personal Services
Rank 24
Major International Relations
Number of Degrees Awarded 16,454
Ranking Name Best Colleges for International Relations
Rank 25
Major Chemistry
Number of Degrees Awarded 16,302
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Chemistry
Rank 26
Major Agricultural Sciences
Number of Degrees Awarded 16,005
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Agricultural Sciences
Rank 27
Major Information Technology
Number of Degrees Awarded 15,953
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Information Technology
Rank 28
Major Performing Arts
Number of Degrees Awarded 15,318
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Art
Rank 29
Major Engineering Technicians
Number of Degrees Awarded 14,378
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Engineering
Rank 30
Major Food and Nutrition
Number of Degrees Awarded 14,277
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Food and Nutrition
Rank 31
Major Religious Studies
Number of Degrees Awarded 13,722
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Religious Studies
Rank 32
Major Film and Photography
Number of Degrees Awarded 13,351
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Film
Rank 33
Major Music
Number of Degrees Awarded 9,833
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Music
Rank 34
Major Physics
Number of Degrees Awarded 8,518
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Physics
Rank 35
Major Philosophy
Number of Degrees Awarded 7,914
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Philosophy
Rank 36
Major Architecture
Number of Degrees Awarded 7,654
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Architecture
Rank 37
Major Protective Services
Number of Degrees Awarded 4,640
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Protective Services
Rank 38
Major Legal Studies
Number of Degrees Awarded 4,535
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Legal Studies
Rank 39
Major Culinary Arts
Number of Degrees Awarded 2,702
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Culinary Arts
Rank 40
Major Pharmacy
Number of Degrees Awarded 2,639
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Pharmacy
Rank 41
Major Dental Studies
Number of Degrees Awarded 2,312
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Dental Studies
Rank 42
Major Arts Management
Number of Degrees Awarded 1,487
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Arts Management
Rank 43
Major Veterinary Studies
Number of Degrees Awarded 1,020
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Veterinary Studies
Rank 44
Major Building and Construction
Number of Degrees Awarded 27
Ranking Name Best Colleges for Building and Construction
Explore the Best Colleges by Major on Niche

Author: Ali Trachta

Ali is the former Content Writer/Editor at Niche. She's a content strategist and award-winning writer, as well as a former editor at LA Weekly and NEXTpittsburgh. As a mom of one who's lived and worked all across the country, she's glad to have once again found her niche in her hometown of Pittsburgh.

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