Is it too late to change majors?
There is no general truth about which semester or year is too late for switching majors. Each case is different. Many people believe that you should not change majors after starting your junior year. Typically, colleges give you a list of general
An estimated 20-50% of students enter college undeclared. What's more, around 75% of students change their major at least once in their college career.
The simple answer is: no. In the vast majority of cases, your intended major does not affect your chances of being accepted to a certain school. A big part of this is because colleges know many students will change their major sometime during college.
The best time to change your major is in or immediately after your first year. Make sure you complete the semester or full school year to be sure of your decision. However, even if you do not fall during this time, it may just require a little more help and support.
A different major could be a better fit for your career goals or help you get into graduate school. Changing majors might even be the difference between earning a degree and dropping out. Other students find that changing majors means pushing back their graduation date and taking out more loans.
Consider the following “factoids”: 50–70 percent of college students change their major at least once during their time in college. Most majors lead to a wide variety of opportunities rather than to one specific career, although some majors do indeed lead to specific careers.
For most colleges, choosing “undecided” as your major will not affect your chances of getting accepted. Admissions officers understand that some students won't be ready to commit to a degree path right out of high school.
- You May Not Graduate on Time. If you discover you want to change your major in your sophom*ore or junior year, you might end up having to take an extra semester or two to graduate. ...
- It May Cost More in Tuition to Switch. ...
- Switching Majors May Not Be What You Truly Wanted.
Changing majors don't affect a GPA. A final grade in a class, or classes, do. This is why people, who have the money to spend, take one, or more, easy elective classes to boost a GPA.
- Kinesiology and physical therapy.
- Philosophy.
- Performing arts.
- Physics.
- Chemistry.
- Liberal arts.
- Anthropology.
- Art.
How late is too late to switch major?
Generally, the end of junior year is “too late” to change your major. However, there are several factors you should consider when deciding if you are going to switch majors. These influences can help you decide if it is “too late” in your specific situation.
In general, it's never too late to change college major. This is true even if the switch is made during the last year or semester of college. However, switching majors late in college can mean added costs and semesters, which should not be an issue when changing majors after the first two years of college.
On average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career. Is Switching Majors a Bad Thing?
As many as 50 to 75% of all undergraduate students change majors at least one time before earning a degree.
Changing Your Major Can Add $18,000 in Tuition
The longer you wait, the more it'll cost. For example, if you change your major in your sophom*ore year, you can probably maintain the same timeline and tuition costs.
Switching majors is similar to college transfer. Changing majors across colleges or schools within the same university is as tough as changing majors from a different college to another university. In doing so, the requirements and courses are so different, that it is like changing institutions.
| Education | Age 25 and over | Age 25-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 34.98% | 36.98% |
| Master's degree | 13.04% | 9.01% |
| Professional degree | 3.47% | 2.02% |
| Doctorate | 2.03% | 1.12% |
After those jobs, however, the report starts to look more like the findings from a study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which found that only 27 percent of college graduates work in a field related to their major. Emsi found that most graduates' outcomes are dispersed widely, among a broad array of careers.
Certain courses, internships or job experiences may change a student's mind about pursuing a certain degree path. Some might decide they prefer a major with a higher starting salary. Others may experience a change of heart and discover a new interest or passion while in college.
Liberal Arts Studies. It is very common for an undecided individual to pursue a liberal arts degree. With this major, you will study a multitude of topics, including math, philosophy, literature, and history. Since your courses will involve general topics, it provides education that makes you well-rounded.
Does undeclared look bad?
Most admissions experts agree that in most cases, there's no harm in putting “undecided” on your college application. Admissions counselors know that choosing your major is a tough decision, so they're not surprised when some students just aren't sure about what they want to study.
Searching for colleges is a bit harder. Many students start their college search by researching schools that excel in the major they're interested in. If you haven't selected a major yet, however, it's a bit harder to find the ideal college for what you want to study.
Cons of a Double Major
You can also take courses over the summer and apply those credits toward your degree. You might struggle to balance your class schedule, especially if any classes required for your two majors overlap. An extra year or semester in school could put a strain on your finances.
As you study across two subjects, you gain extensive knowledge, as well as valuable skills that prepare you for a wide variety of careers. Students who double major often experience more career opportunities and higher earning potential than those with a single major. Your resume will stand out to potential employers.
All Years Matter
When it comes to GPA, “A” is the most important letter here, and this stands for “Average.” Your grade point average will be made up of all of the classes you've taken each year over the course of your high school journey, so therefore, all your years of school and classes matter for your GPA.
You have three options if you're troubled by an inglorious GPA: Retake the courses you flopped to earn a better grade and reapply for to your first-choice major. Transfer to a university where the GPA requirement for your intended major is lower. Declare a new major at your school.
If you have a 3.0 GPA and 15 credit hours, by earning straight A's during your next (15 credit) semester, you can bump your GPA to a 3.5. However, if you have already earned 60 credit hours and have a 3.0 GPA a straight-A semester will only bump your GPA to a 3.2.
#1 Chemistry
According to the average Grade Point Average of students in the program, Chemistry wins the prize title hardest major. A Chemistry major overlaps somewhat with biology, but chemistry extends beyond living things.
Engineering majors have the fewest regrets: Just 24 percent wish they'd chosen something different, according to a Federal Reserve survey.
- Advertising: 8 percent 🔊
- Journalism: 7.6 percent 📰
- Art: 7.3 percent 🎨
- Architecture: 7.2 percent 🏢
- Engineering: 7 percent 🏗️
- Biology: 6.8 percent🔬
- Education: 6.6 percent 👨🏫
- Medicine: 1.4 percent
What to do if I don't like my major?
- Reflect on how you're feeling. Go somewhere where you are completely alone and do some soul-searching. ...
- Networking over everything. ...
- Experience will get you far.
The top-earning majors are in so-called STEM fields, or degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Half of the top 10 majors with graduates making the most money are subsets of engineering.
Although switching majors in the middle of the semester is possible, do not drop (or stop attending) classes just because they don't apply to your new desired major. It is still important to do the coursework and earn good grades to keep a strong GPA.
- Start the conversation early.
- Focus on your common ground and understand that they have good intentions.
- Lead with the facts instead of emotional appeals.
- Celebrate the experience.
- Be realistic.
Do you wonder, “Should I go back to college?” The truth is, it's never too late to go to college. In fact, you can go to college at any age—there's no such thing as a maximum age limit for admission.
Students should start getting involved in extracurriculars as early as possible in their high school career. However, if you're a junior or a senior, don't be discouraged about trying something new or expanding your extracurriculars. At the end of the day, a year's worth of participation is better than none at all.
51 percent of students are not confident in their career path when they enroll in college. Almost two-thirds of students feel overwhelmed by the process of selecting a major. Gen Z (68 percent) and Millennials (63 percent) feel the most stress, followed by a large percentage of Gen X students (49 percent).
If you decide to change after school begins, changing your major is often as easy as filling out a form. Ask your advisor or school's counseling office for information on how to do this. After you switch majors, you may get a new advisor, especially if your advisor focuses on specific academic or career areas.
- Change Your Major if Your Engagement and Grades Start to Slip. ...
- Switch Majors When Yours No Longer Aligns with Your Career Goals. ...
- You Become Curious About Another Major. ...
- Your Major Highlights Your Weaknesses, Not Your Strengths. ...
- You Didn't Like Your Internship.
Most schools don't factor your intended major into their admissions decisions. It can be difficult to know which majors are more or less competitive at a certain school. Colleges want your classes and extracurriculars to relate to your chosen major.
What are the most regretted and lowest paying college majors?
Regret is heavily influenced by salary.
The top three regretted majors, according to ZipRecruiter, are journalism (87%), sociology (72%), and liberal arts and general studies (72%). The top three regret-free majors, all above 70%, are computer and information sciences, criminology, and engineering.
One of the reasons many students stress about their choice of major is due to the mistaken belief that their major will determine their career. While your degree may come with an obvious career path, you don't have to follow it. Your future career and success are not at the mercy of the degree you choose.
Generally, the end of junior year is “too late” to change your major. However, there are several factors you should consider when deciding if you are going to switch majors. These influences can help you decide if it is “too late” in your specific situation.
Grade point average is, unless otherwise specified, the average of all grades. Those for your major, those for fun, and those for a previous major. Many of the courses will still be needed after a change. Some might give a “major GPA” of only classes for one's major.
I would recommend taking general education courses first and then focus on major courses, so if you decide to switch majors, you would still be able to graduate on time.
As many as 50 to 75% of all undergraduate students change majors at least one time before earning a degree.
It's been estimated that anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of students start college as “undecided” in terms of their major. What's more, upward of 75 percent of college students change their major before they graduate.
About 80 percent of students in the United States end up changing their major at least once, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. On average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career.
You're part of the 75 percent of American college students who either start their college career as undecided or change their major at least once. It's all part of the process of exploring your options. Central College students who start as exploring can still graduate in four years!
Nearly 2 in 5 American college graduates have major regrets. That is, they regret their major. The regretters include a healthy population of liberal arts majors, who may be responding to pervasive social cues.
How many times does the average student change majors?
On average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career. Is Switching Majors a Bad Thing? Contrary to popular belief, switching college majors can actually increase a student's likelihood of graduating from college, according to a new study from the EAB.
- 52% of math majors switched to another major.
- 40% of natural sciences majors switched.
- 37% of education majors switched.
- 36% of humanities majors switched.
- 35% of all STEM majors switched.
- 32% of engineering majors switched.
- 32% of general studies majors switched.
- 31% of social science majors switched.
The most popular college majors in the United States are business, health, and social sciences, according to data from the National Center of Education Statistics (NCES). Of the 2 million bachelor's degrees conferred in the US during the 2019-2020 school year, these three majors made up almost 40 percent.
- Accounting.
- Biomedical engineering.
- Mathematics or Statistics.
- Finance.
- Nursing.
- Information technology.
- Engineering.
- Computer science.
10 most-regretted majors: After graduation, 'reality hits'
Still, 44% of all job seekers with college degrees regret their field of study.
Experts also discourage changing majors during junior or senior years, though it's technically possible for students to do so. Experts say the earlier students can make that change, the better. That way, they won't be so far along in a certain degree path that they have to take extra courses.
Switching majors is similar to college transfer. Changing majors across colleges or schools within the same university is as tough as changing majors from a different college to another university. In doing so, the requirements and courses are so different, that it is like changing institutions.
Having No Plan in Place
Not building a career progression plan is easily one of the most common mistakes people make when it comes to career progression.
Considered the best major for undecided students is liberal studies. This major offers broad studies that apply to different careers. As a liberal studies major, you will take humanities, social science, and other classes. From history to psychology, plan on taking many liberal arts courses.
“[Some students] have a hard time thinking about [a major] because they are so focused on what they are doing now,” Lorimer said. “There is some lack of opportunity to explore that students aren't taking.” When students aren't able to choose a major, many don't know how to seek help to guide them during the process.
