Best College Degrees:
Salary, Demand, and Future Growth



Many students want the best college degrees to help set them up for that 'dream job'. The general consensus of what the best college degree is however will change from student to student. I've created a few categories including the highest paying degrees, degrees that are most in demand, degrees that have the best projected growth, as well as the fastest and easiest degrees to obtain.

Best College Degrees: Salary

The Nation's highest paying degrees often require advanced schooling; however, this is not always the case. Many executive management positions can be obtained with a Bachelors degree, experience, certifications, and a strong work ethic. Typically, most people never reach executive level in large companies to receive million dollar salaries; but if big paychecks are where your ambitions lie, the top degrees most often pulling in at least six figures include:

  • Medical (MD or DO)

  • Dental (DDS or DMD)

  • Engineering

  • Computer and Information Systems (Management)

  • Law

  • Marketing (Management)

  • Pharmacy (Pharmacist)

  • Physics/Astronomy

  • Finance (Management)

  • Computer Science (Ph.D. Level)

Best College Degrees: Demand

Some college students are more concerned whether or not there will be jobs for them after graduation. It is ideal to enter your profession shortly before you graduate or the month of graduation - this is possible with almost all college degrees, however it will be much easier if you major in a select few that have a serious shortage in their perspective industry.

The data collected to present the best college degrees for demand is taken for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While many may disagree with the findings, it should be noted that the data is most likely skewed by major shortages of workers willing to work in certain undesirable locations, atmosphere, or working conditions. The data is based on the current number of job openings and the perspective degree students earn in college to obtain said profession. The top degrees in demand include:

  • Education (Teaching Certification)

  • Nursing (RN)

  • Accounting

  • Computer Science

  • M.D. or D.O.

  • Law

  • Business Management

  • Finance

  • Pharm.D.

  • Computer Information Systems

Best College Degrees for the Future

Think "within your lifetime" future, not so much science fiction-type future. Advances in technology have created, and will continue to create a whole slew of new professions. Medical careers still top the list of fastest growing, but other professions like accounting, networking and software engineers, financial planning and analysis, as well as medical scientists will take a giant leap forward filling the Nation's workforce within the next 20 years.

Deeper look into Future College Degrees

Want to be ready for the future? Take a look at some degrees tied to professions with the highest projected growth over the next 20 years. Data has been extrapolated from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  • Biomedical Engineering

  • Computer Networking (CIS)

  • Nursing (RN)

  • Accounting

  • Computer Science

  • Finance

  • Physician Assisting

  • Biochemistry

  • Medical Assisting

  • Veterinary Medicine

Easiest College Degrees to Obtain

Not everyone has the same ambition to make six-figure salaries and retire at 40, or at least..they would rather do it in a non-traditional way.

While seeking the easiest college degrees for graduation may sound admirable, I would rarely call a student 'lazy' for wanting to seek the quickest way through their college education. Many students seek degrees so they can surpass the 'glass ceiling' at their current jobs, they may have scholarships to college that have to be used in a certain time period, or maybe they want to avoid challenging courses to ensure success and a good GPA.

Some of the easiest college degrees to obtain include:

  • Medical Assisting

  • Hospitality

  • History

  • Business Administration

  • IT Support

  • Social Services (Human Services)

  • Criminal Justice

  • Early Childhood Development





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