Which College Majors Have the Lowest (and Highest) Unemployment Rates?

Looking for a job after college? Of course you are. But for some students, finding employment is a real struggle. While certain majors are in high demand in the professional world, others are…more of an academic pursuit. That has a lot to do with emerging business needs.

Study This, Not That

A recent report by the Wall Street Journal analyzes the employability of many different majors, with some interesting findings. While some majors are in high demand, other ones—which can be very closely related—make it tough to find a job. Most striking: students of psychology face a very tough job market, but those studying student counseling are 100 percent employed. How does your major stack up? Can you find a niche that will place  you into a more favorable job market?

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Ten Majors With the Highest Employment Rates

While these majors may not be the highest paid, they are consistently in demand in the modern business world. These majors cover a wide range, creating lots of opportunities for students in almost any field. Actuarial Science, with the lowest unemployment rate, is also one of the top-earning careers for recent graduates. Education administration is one of the least popular majors, despite having high demand. What are the most employable majors in your chosen field?

1. Actuarial Science – 0.0% unemployment

2. Pharmacology – 0.0% unemployment

3. Educational Administration and Supervision – 0.0% unemployment

4. School Student Counseling – 0.0% unemployment

5. Geological and Geophysical Engineering – 0.0% unemployment

6. Astronomy and Astrophysics – 0.0% unemployment

7. Teacher Education: Multiple Levels – 1.1% unemployment

8. Agricultural Economics – 1.3% unemployment

9. Medical Technologies Technicians – 1.4% unemployment

10. Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology – 1.6% unemployment

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Ten Majors With the Highest Unemployment Rates

The field of psychology dominates here, with extraordinarily high unemployment rates. Architecture is another surprising find that requires its students to undergo several years of specialized education, only to face a very crowded job market. The remaining college majors are mostly academic in nature, meaning their grads are likely headed for jobs in higher education—or for careers in unrelated fields.

1. Clinical Psychology – 19.5% unemployment

2. Miscellaneous Fine Arts – 16.2% unemployment

3. United States History – 15.1% unemployment

4. Library Science – 15.0% unemployment

5. Educational Psychology – 10.9% unemployment

6. Military Technologies – 10.9% unemployment

7. Architecture – 10.6% unemployment

8. Industrial and Organizational Psychology – 10.4% unemployment

9. Miscellaneous Psychology – 10.3% unemployment

10. Linguistics and Comparative Language and Literature – 10.2% unemployment

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