College women purse a wide variety of degrees and professional routes. Some choose the liberal arts direction, while others prefer to work with numbers or in the healthcare field. While women are present in every college major, these are 5 of the most popular college majors for women in 2017.
- Business is often one of the most common majors for all students, both male and female. The intrigue of a business degree is that it is so broad and general; students can do almost anything with it once they graduate. Some women go on to be entrepreneurs, open their own business, work in the corporate world and more. A business degree gives graduates strong skills and a solid knowledge base that they can further depending on the track they choose in their professional lives after graduation.
- Education has always been a pre-dominantly female profession. Although enrollment has been slipping, and female education majors have dropped about 3%, it is still a common major choice for many women. Women are frequently enrolling in education classes and programs. The beauty of a career in education is that women are able to teach whatever subject they love, be it math, science, English or business. Some choose elementary education while others pursue secondary or even college level and graduate education.
- Nursing is another profession in which women typically outnumber men, although more and more males are being drawn into the field. Nurses are in high demand, meaning there is a great deal of job security, job openings and career opportunities. In addition, the pay is often high right out of college and most nurses earn at least $60,000 a year starting off. In addition to nursing, health care in general is receiving more female involvement as women are going on to become pharmacists, doctors, occupational therapists and more.
- A great number of women are still enrolled in the so-called “soft” majors such as English and other liberal arts heavy degrees. These majors lead these women into all sorts of careers including editing, teaching, writing, publishing, public relations and sales. These “soft” majors are not necessarily easy, and do require a great deal of critical thinking skills and the interpretation of complex ideas. These skills make women versatile so they can pursue a wide range of careers after they graduate, adding to the appeal.
- Finally, many women declare a major in psychology while enrolled in college. The study of the brain, how people think, emotions and chemistry can allow individual to be more aware of human interactions, reactions, tendencies and habits. This major is primarily composed of females. Psychology majors can go on to work as school psychologists, psychiatrists, teachers, and researchers among many other opportunities.
While women do tend to gravitate towards careers in healthcare, education, liberal arts, psychology, and business, women can be found in all majors and in all professions.
