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Major decisions: The factors Americans think are important when choosing college subjects

Major decisions: The factors Americans think are important when choosing college subjects

David Crowther

Expensive education

‍Meeting the GPA requirements to secure a place at an Ivy League college is difficult, but the financial barrier to America’s elite institutions is becoming a much more daunting obstacle, with costs veering dangerously close to crossing the $90k-a-year point, according to a Bloomberg report this week.

While millions of students from the high school class of ‘23 will be awaiting admission results in the coming weeks, tuition fees and living costs will have undoubtedly influenced thousands of others — enrolment figures were down for an 11th consecutive year in 2022 as more students question whether the cost of college is really worth it.

‍Major issues

‍The difficult decisions for prospective students don’t stop there either. If you decide that college life (and the eye-watering fees that come with it) is for you, the not-inconsiderable decision of which subject to devote the next few years of your life to isn't far behind.

For any potential undergrads looking for early inspiration, a recent YouGov poll found the primary factors people think students should consider when picking majors. According to most Americans, interest in the subject should be the prevailing consideration, with 84% of respondents saying that factor was “very”, or “somewhat”, important. Similarly, some 82% said the same about the relevance of the major to the student’s job prospects. Surprisingly, in light of the amount of cash now required to get a major, earning potential was “very important” to less than half of the respondents.

‍Go deeper: Explore the full findings of the survey, and where 40 majors ranked on different factors, here.

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