Popular College Degrees and Programs

Want to see what degrees are the most popular among students seeking postsecondary education? Below is a list of the 200 most popular degrees and certificates awarded per the most recent data published by the NCES.  No differentiation is made between the varying degree levels, though minor degrees are not included. The list provides a quick idea as to which areas of study are commonly being pursued and which are believed to provide the most career choices upon completion. The data is taken from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
Rank Program Name Awarded
#1 Nursing 502,306
#2 Liberal Arts 358,565
#3 Business Administration 345,420
#4 General Studies 126,381
#5 Psychology 125,892
#6 Biology 87,831
#7 Communications 81,088
#8 Accounting 77,713
#9 Medical Assistant 60,317
#10 Social Work 56,371
#11 Cosmetology 52,002
#12 Mechanical Engineering 47,168
#13 Finance 46,730
#14 Computer Science 46,581
#15 Criminal Justice 45,720
#16 Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) 45,607
#17 Advertising and Marketing 45,339
#18 Welding 45,129
#19 Nursing Assistant 43,162
#20 Political Science 40,521
#21 Bookkeeping 40,438
#22 English 40,214
#23 Elementary Education 39,239
#24 Auto Mechanic 35,890
#25 Law 34,720
#26 Sociology 34,466
#27 Educational Leadership and Administration 31,569
#28 Sports Management 31,338
#29 Early Childhood Education 30,859
#30 Kinesiology And Exercise Science 30,575
#31 Electrical Engineering 30,531
#32 Economics 30,457
#33 Education 30,423
#34 EMT and Paramedic 28,855
#35 History 28,827
#36 Law and Justice Administration 27,832
#37 Math 26,934
#38 Healthcare Administration 26,485
#39 Information Technology 26,109
#40 Esthetician 23,657
#41 Civil Engineering 21,159
#42 Chemistry 20,389
#43 Heating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) 19,885
#44 Special Education 19,775
#45 Public Health 19,757
#46 Medicine 19,720
#47 Social Science 19,377
#48 Counseling Psychology 19,208
#49 Curriculum and Instruction 18,739
#50 Electrician 17,517
#51 Information Science 17,466
#52 Dental Assistant 17,412
#53 Public Administration 17,301
#54 Bus and Truck Driver 17,020
#55 Human Resources 16,954
#56 Pharmacy 15,993
#57 Family Practice Nurse 15,522
#58 Chemical Engineering 14,118
#59 Sports Medicine 14,088
#60 Computer Networking 14,020
#61 Human Services 13,629
#62 International Relations 13,047
#63 Physical Therapy 12,865
#64 Journalism 12,648
#65 Organizational Leadership 12,490
#66 Physics 12,401
#67 Culinary Arts 12,204
#68 Guidance Counselor 12,140
#69 Information Systems 12,121
#70 Biomedical Engineering 11,888
#71 Massage Therapy 11,727
#72 Fine Arts and Studio Arts 11,372
#73 Music 11,113
#74 Drama and Theatre Arts 11,109
#75 Ultrasound Technician 11,092
#76 Radiology Technician 10,782
#77 CAD 10,694
#78 Management Science 10,654
#79 Anthropology 10,564
#80 Physician Assistant 10,193
#81 Nail Technician 10,042
#82 Paralegal 9,952
#83 Biochemistry 9,741
#84 Family Studies 9,681
#85 Engineering 9,631
#86 Diesel Mechanic 9,504
#87 Industrial Engineering 9,400
#88 Veterinary Assistant 9,272
#89 Criminology 9,248
#90 International Business 9,167
#91 Biomedical Science 9,141
#92 Occupational Therapy 9,138
#93 Secondary Education 9,118
#94 Nursing Administration 9,069
#95 Logistics and Supply Chain Management 9,068
#96 Medical Insurance Coding 8,933
#97 Medical Executive Assistant 8,765
#98 Health Information and Medical Records Technology 8,662
#99 Environmental Science 8,635
#100 Administrative Assistant 8,617
#101 Physical Education 8,569
#102 Graphic Design 8,494
#103 Pharmacy Technician 8,341
#104 Dental Hygienist 8,337
#105 Fire Science 8,180
#106 Spanish Language and Literature 8,083
#107 Phlebotomy 8,031
#108 Neuroscience 7,972
#109 Cinematography And Film 7,964
#110 Surgical Technologist 7,956
#111 Computer Programming 7,919
#112 Industrial Mechanics 7,712
#113 Audiology and Speech Pathology 7,709
#114 Multimedia 7,684
#115 Physical Therapist Assistant 7,650
#116 Medical Insurance Biller 7,619
#117 Entrepreneurship 7,615
#118 Philosophy 7,551
#119 Molecular Biology 7,408
#120 Geology 7,359
#121 International and Global Studies 7,321
#122 Audio and Video Production 7,298
#123 Ministry 7,140
#124 Respiratory Therapy 7,131
#125 Animal Science 7,037
#126 Statistics 6,811
#127 Osteopathy 6,700
#128 Software Engineering 6,692
#129 Reading Teacher and Literacy Specialist 6,528
#130 Dentistry 6,403
#131 Mental Health Counseling 6,368
#132 Creative Writing 6,363
#133 Theology 6,189
#134 Architecture 6,125
#135 Organizational and Nonprofit Management 6,086
#136 Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling 6,071
#137 Aircraft Mechanic 6,033
#138 Web Design 5,566
#139 Interior Design 5,503
#140 Public Relations 5,474
#141 Operations Management 5,431
#142 Design and Visual Communications 5,385
#143 ESL 5,353
#144 Industrial Technology 5,352
#145 Medical Office Assistant 5,305
#146 Manufacturing Engineering Technician 5,300
#147 Athletic Training 5,283
#148 Clinical Psychology 5,283
#149 Real Estate 5,265
#150 Engineering Management 5,259
#151 Public Policy 5,189
#152 Auto Body 5,142
#153 Animation 5,136
#154 Geography 5,040
#155 Office Management and Supervision 5,000
#156 Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) 4,986
#157 Baking And Pastry 4,964
#158 Nutrition 4,759
#159 Nursing Science 4,704
#160 Hospital and Healthcare Facility Management 4,618
#161 Exercise Physiology 4,286
#162 Child Care 4,268
#163 Machinist 4,244
#164 Child Development 4,147
#165 Medical Lab Technician 4,137
#166 Talmudic Studies 4,126
#167 Carpentry 4,066
#168 Risk Management and Insurance 4,066
#169 Aviation 4,057
#170 Fashion Merchandising 4,036
#171 Higher Education Administration 3,967
#172 Fire Prevention 3,854
#173 Commercial and Advertising Art 3,825
#174 Medical Office Management 3,769
#175 Corrections Officer 3,742
#176 Dietetics 3,739
#177 Organizational Behavior Studies 3,675
#178 Medical Technology 3,663
#179 Construction Management 3,656
#180 Behavioral Science 3,649
#181 Forensic Psychology 3,596
#182 Parks and Recreation Management 3,574
#183 Biotechnology 3,567
#184 Forensic Science 3,530
#185 Materials Engineering 3,526
#186 Optometry 3,494
#187 Art History 3,487
#188 Systems Engineering 3,481
#189 Agriculture 3,464
#190 Religious Studies 3,433
#191 Sales Manager 3,388
#192 Project Management 3,338
#193 Fashion Design 3,322
#194 Nutrition 3,320
#195 Marriage and Family Therapy 3,308
#196 Veterinary Medicine 3,297
#197 Financial Planning 3,192
#198 Middle School Teacher 3,188
#199 School Psychology 3,118
#200 Christian Counseling 3,024

List of the Top 200 Most Popular Degrees & Programs

The table below lists the total degrees and certificates awarded from all accredited colleges and universities in the United State from 2015-2016.  Simply click on the best degree program for you to learn more about career pathways, top ranked colleges, popular online degrees, admissions insights, average financial aid awards, employment trends, average income by profession, and much more.

Top College Majors List by Area of Study

To view the listing of college majors by area of study, we have meticulously compiled a list by learning clusters.  In other words, you may be inclined to search for nursing degrees or criminal justice careers by category instead of by state or school size.  Regardless of your current college search status, you can learn details about nearly 8,000 accredited colleges and nearly 1,500 college degrees with MatchCollege.  To learn more about a particular college area of study, simply select the learning domain listed below to find an array of college degree pathways.

Business & Finance Medicine & Allied Health
Education Skilled Trades & Repair Services
Communication & Media Psychology
Law & Criminal Justice Administration & Social Services
Liberal Arts and Humanities Nutrition and Wellness
Computers & Information Technology Physical & Life Sciences
Engineering & Architecture Arts & Design
Social Sciences Animal & Agriculture Studies
Beauty & Hospitality Services

12 Most Popular College Majors by Degree Type

The most popular college degrees conferred in the United States can be found visually below.  Data was gathered from the NCES for their most recent reporting years to visually help college-bound students understand each degree cluster and its relative popularity.  Degrees were ordered from highest to lowest for the current reporting year, the last year, and the prior year to provide you with degree trend patterns.   A full list of the top 200 college majors are listed below the graph to provide you with the opportunity to delve into each college major.

Graph of the Top College Degrees

Most Popular College Degrees Conferred in the United States

Source: IPEDS, ONet, BLS, and US Census