What are the hardest college majors? This is one of the questions students must ask when choosing colleges. After all, the major will not only affect their future development but also determine the intensity of study in the four years of university to a certain extent. Therefore, the difficulty of professional learning has gradually become the standard for many students when choosing universities. Some students just want to enjoy colourful campus life and smoothly get a degree and graduation certificate, and easier college majors will be their priority choice. Those who want to challenge themselves and are keen on academic research will consider a more difficult major. So, how do we know if the major is difficult or not? Let’s move on.
Measuring the Hardest Majors in College?
The difficulty of a major varies from person to person, and learning a difficult major does not mean that you can not make excellent achievements in the field. What may seem like a hard major to others may seem simple to you. Therefore, there’s no objective criterion that can be used to measure. The following are the common factors in determining the most difficult majors.
- GPA
The lower the GPA, the more difficult the major is. With lower GPAs, STEM is usually seen as the hardest college major. Compared with the humanities and social sciences, STEM majors focus more on solid foundations and hard skills, like programming languages and lab techniques. If you do not master the basic knowledge of one layer, you can not further in-depth study.
- Study hours
The more time students spend preparing for homework and learning courses, the harder their major is. Complex courses require students to devote more time and energy to digesting the knowledge. Some may need to find more materials or ask teachers for help to enhance the understanding and application of knowledge.
- Student ratings
Ideally, the more interested students are in their subject, the easier it will be. Students are the main learning body. Some scholars think students have the right to rate the degree of difficulty in the courses they learn, so they use student ratings to measure course difficulty. With enough samples and careful data analysis, the survey results can be used as one of the criteria to measure the difficulty of a major.
- Attrition
Higher attrition may be related to harder college majors. If students are not satisfied with their subjects and think they are difficult to learn, they may change their majors. Most universities in the US have formal procedures for changing majors that students must follow. Besides, lower graduate rates can also shed light on the difficulty of the major. Graduating from universities smoothly is what many students expect.
- Return on investment
Once you earn the hardest degrees from your university, it’s possible that you can earn more money in your future careers. Some technical skill sets may not be easily transferrable to other disciplines, making them more competitive in their fields. Employers are willing to hire talents mastering professional skills in specific fields.
Top 10 Hardest College Majors
Below are the 10 hardest majors based on College Transitions data. The list combines data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify the 10 most difficult majors based on a comprehensive ranking of 10-year average GPA, major attrition and graduation rates, return on investment, and other factors.
1. Architecture
Architecture combines art and engineering, involving a wide range of knowledge.
The architectural structure should be supported by knowledge of physical mechanics and mathematics; architectural decoration needs background knowledge in art and culture; and the architectural environment requires students to master the content of environmental science and psychology.
An architect’s license is a great test for students’ comprehensive ability. You must accumulate general and professional knowledge in the university and have certain practical skills and experience.
2. Biology
Biology can be subdivided into many fields, such as zoology, Marine biology, botany and ecology.
At the undergraduate level, biology students are required to complete courses in chemistry, mathematics, molecular biology, and genetics, as well as master relevant experimental skills.
In the process of learning, not only science, logic, calculation, and experimental operation are involved, but also knowledge point memory and writing application ability of liberal arts, which have high requirements for memory, understanding, and experimental operation ability.
3. Chemistry
Students majoring in chemistry need to learn biology, mathematics, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry, and other courses, which not only involve a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge but also cross many other disciplines.
Additionally, chemistry-related jobs are often more demanding, especially research-based positions, which is why almost two-thirds of chemistry students go on to further their studies after graduation.
4. Education
Is it surprising that education is the hardest college major?
Although the courses in education are not as difficult as STEM majors, the GPA requirements for education are often high, making students feel more stressed. adds a
However, due to the difficulty of learning, limited job prospects, and relatively low return on investment, the attrition rate of education majors is very high. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 42% of students in education choose to change their major.
5. Engineering
Engineering has many subdivisions and fusion disciplines. There are many popular and challenging majors in this branch, such as mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, communication engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, etc.
The specific courses will depend on the student’s field of specialization but generally involve core courses such as chemistry, physics, and calculus, as well as a series of difficult and intensive specialized courses.
Almost every day, students are overwhelmed by complex theoretical formulas, tedious calculations, and countless simulation experiments, facing tremendous pressure.
6. Fine Art
The arts include dance, drama, music, film, photography, visual arts, creative writing, and other majors. Although employment is difficult and the return on investment is low, the entry barrier is very high, and industry competition is particularly fierce.
Talent is necessary to achieve success in this field. Besides, students must be creative, spend time improving their skills, and persist for a long time.
7. Mathematics
Mathematics is one of the top hardest majors. The knowledge points of mathematics are difficult, so students need to understand the abstract concepts through a lot of practice. With strong logical thinking and problem-solving skills, students can cope with a large number of challenging courses, such as Advanced Mathematics, linear algebra, abstract algebra, and so on.
8. Nursing
Nursing covers a wide range of healthcare knowledge and skills, and develops students’ ability to integrated care. Its courses cover all aspects of medical knowledge, nursing skills and clinical practice. Students should prepare themselves for facing challenges physically, mentally and emotionally.
The language barrier is also a big challenge for non-native English speakers. In addition to understanding medical terminology and communicating with patients and medical teams, it is necessary to adapt and understand the culture of care, values and interpersonal norms of the target country.
9. Art history
Art history is a relatively niche specialty. During the undergraduate period, students are required to study, analyze and study famous works of art, and learn about different theories of art and the history of works of art.
Although the major itself is not difficult, it involves a lot of fields and knowledge points, often involving social, economic, political, philosophy, religion and other aspects of humanistic knowledge.
Additionally, many reading and writing courses also require high language ability. Many universities also need students to minor in Latin and other language courses. The academic task is relatively heavy, and the employment competition is also relatively fierce.
10. Physics
In the undergraduate stage, students are exposed to courses such as calculus, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and quantum mechanics. With a solid foundation of mathematics and physics, students can understand and master the complex and abstract knowledge.
With the continuous development of subdivided disciplines, some universities also require students to master more kinds of physical knowledge and practical skills. Moreover, students need to have advanced mathematics and computer science and other interdisciplinary knowledge, which is a great challenge to learning ability.
Conclusion: Hardest College Majors
Studying the hardest college majors may not be easy for most students. Opportunities and challenges coexist. With higher thresholds and requirements, these demanding majors require resilience, determination, and a passion for the subject matter. However, there are also benefits to getting a hard college major. Graduates from these difficult majors will gain advanced skills, be more competitive in the professional field, and earn more money than others. Based on our information, you can learn more about the hardest college majors in the US and pave the way for a future brimming with opportunities and success.
FAQ
Is nursing a major?
Yes.
Nursing is one of the hardest college majors. Its courses cover all aspects of medical knowledge, nursing skills and clinical practice. Students should prepare themselves for facing challenges physically, mentally and emotionally. Graduates from nursing will have broad employment prospects.
What are the hardest majors in college?
The top 10 hardest college majors are as follows.
- Architecture
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Education
- Engineering
- Fine Art
- Mathematics
- Nursing
- Art History
- Physics
What is the no. 1 toughest degree in the world?
Medicine.
Students majoring in medicine must take complex subjects like biochemistry, pharmacology, surgery, and internal medicine. They must also accept rigorous clinical training and long study hours and accumulate clinical experience before becoming qualified doctors.
