Business is the most common major in college. In the 2021-22 academic year, U.S. colleges and universities awarded 375,400 bachelor’s degrees in business, accounting for 19 percent of all bachelor’s degrees conferred. That’s more than the next two largest fields combined.
The Six Largest Fields of Study
Of the roughly 2 million bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2021-22, six fields accounted for 58 percent of all degrees, according to the National Center for Education Statistics:
- Business: 375,400 degrees (19 percent)
- Health professions and related programs: 263,800 degrees (13 percent)
- Social sciences and history: 151,100 degrees (7 percent)
- Biological and biomedical sciences: 131,500 degrees (7 percent)
- Psychology: 129,600 degrees (6 percent)
- Engineering: 123,000 degrees (6 percent)
Business has held the top spot for decades, and the gap is substantial. Health professions sit in second place but trail by more than 100,000 degrees. After that, the remaining four fields cluster closely together in the 120,000 to 151,000 range.
Why Business Dominates
Business is an umbrella that covers a wide range of concentrations: accounting, finance, marketing, management, supply chain, human resources, and more. That breadth is a big reason for its numbers. A student interested in running a startup, working at a bank, or managing a retail operation can all land under the same “business” category in the data. Few other fields cast that wide a net.
The degree also appeals to students who want flexibility. A business major can enter dozens of industries without additional licensing or graduate school, which makes it a lower-risk choice for students who aren’t sure exactly what they want to do after graduation. That practical reputation keeps enrollment high year after year.
Which Fields Are Growing and Shrinking
The rankings shift when you zoom into recent trends. Between 2022 and 2023, the fastest-growing fields were overwhelmingly in computing. Computer and information technology administration added over 18,400 enrollments in a single year. Computer science grew by more than 17,300, and general computer and information sciences added another 13,000. Finance and general business commerce also saw strong growth, adding roughly 8,300 and 7,800 enrollments respectively.
On the other side, several traditionally popular fields are losing students. Criminal justice shrank by more than 10,000 enrollments, and general education lost over 9,400. General psychology dropped by about 6,600, which is notable given that psychology still ranks among the top six overall. Sociology, general biology, political science, and history all declined by 3,000 or more. Nursing, despite health professions being the second-largest category overall, saw a drop of roughly 5,200 enrollments in certain program classifications.
These shifts suggest that students are increasingly gravitating toward fields with clear technical skill sets and direct career pipelines, while some of the broader liberal arts and social science fields are losing ground.
How Associate Degrees Compare
The picture looks different at the two-year level. The most in-demand associate degree fields lean heavily toward applied, career-ready programs: nursing, cybersecurity, skilled trades, supply chain management, and allied health. Business still has a presence at community colleges, but it doesn’t dominate the way it does at four-year schools. Students pursuing associate degrees tend to choose programs tied to specific certifications or licensures, which pushes health care and technical fields to the top.
What Popularity Means for You
Choosing a major based on popularity alone isn’t a strategy. A field being common means there are more graduates competing for the same entry-level jobs. Business graduates, for example, number nearly 400,000 per year, which means standing out requires internships, strong networking, or a focused concentration like data analytics or finance rather than a generic management degree.
On the other hand, popular fields tend to be popular for a reason. Employers hire large numbers of business, health, and engineering graduates because those skills are broadly needed. The demand side of the equation matters just as much as the supply side. Engineering produces far fewer graduates than business, but engineering roles also tend to be more specialized and geographically concentrated.
The growth trends are worth paying attention to if you’re early in your college planning. Computer science and related fields are adding thousands of students per year because employer demand in tech, cybersecurity, and data infrastructure remains strong. If you’re deciding between a growing field and a shrinking one, understanding why the shift is happening can help you make a more informed choice. A field like history isn’t declining because the subject lost value overnight. It’s declining because students are prioritizing majors with more direct career outcomes, and that preference is reshaping the landscape of higher education in real time.