Key takeaways:
- Every college degree holds value, but some college degrees have higher rates of employment after graduation than others.
- Nursing, Construction Services, Engineering, Accounting, and Special Education are some undergraduate majors with low unemployment rates.
- When selecting a major, consider job placement rates, salary potential, interests, strengths, weaknesses, required education, and more.
Source: Flickr user diabetescare .
Although all college degrees offer advantages to graduates, certain fields consistently experience higher demand. As a result, individuals who pursue an “in demand” field could be more likely to secure full-time employment promptly after graduation than those in less sought-after areas. In this article, we’ve highlighted some of the most useful college degrees as determined by unemployment rates.
Most useful college degrees
These college degrees had some of the lowest unemployment rates in 2023, as listed in the 2025 Labor Market for Recent College Graduates by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
1. REGISTERED NURSING
Many careers in healthcare are in high demand, especially nursing with an unemployment rate of just 1.4%. If you have a passion for helping others and like a challenge in the workplace, this may be a good major for you. Coursework generally includes medication administration, health maintenance, human anatomy, critical thinking, fieldwork, and similar studies.
Registered nurses earn a median salary of $93,000 and the career field is expected to grow by 4.9% between 2024 and 2034.
2. NUTRITION SCIENCES
Nutrition Sciences classes cover everything from food preparation to distribution and biology to physiology. Graduates of these 4-year programs have the lowest rate of unemployment as of 2023, at just 0.4%. However, they tend to have a high rate of underemployment (46.8%), and you’re not quite done after you earn your bachelor’s degree if you want to become a Dietitian specifically. You need to take an accredited internship and pass the dietitian exam.
Dietitians and Nutritionists are projected to see a 5.5% job growth between 2024 and 2034. Median salaries are currently $73,000.
3. SPECIAL EDUCATION
Special education teachers work with students with disabilities, adopting and adapting lesson plans to meet their students’ needs. Courses in these bachelor programs cover childhood development, creating individual lesson plans, and the range of disabilities they might see in the classroom. After graduation, special education teachers see a very low rate of unemployment – just 1%.
In secondary school, these educators see a median salary of $69,000. However, job growth is expected to decline by 2034 by 1.6%.
4. Engineering
Engineering areas of study cover a lot of ground, and some of them have very low unemployment rates. Students study calculus, statistics, physics, chemistry, electronics, design processes, problem solving, computer skills, and more, depending on their specialization.
Here’s a quick look at some engineering majors that have some of the lowest unemployment rates as of 2023, plus their projected growth rates between 2024 and 2034:
- Civil Engineering
- Unemployment rate: 1%
- Civil Engineers have a median wage of $99,000, and employment is expected to grow 5%.
- Aerospace Engineering
- Unemployment rate: 1.4%
- Aerospace Engineer Technicians’ employment is projected to grow by 8%. The median salary is $79,000.
- Mechanical Engineering
- Unemployment rate: 1.5%
- With a median salary of $102,000, Mechanical Engineers’ employment is expected to grow 9.1%.
- Engineering Technologies
- Unemployment rate: 1.9%
- Employment for Architectural and Engineering Managers is expected to increase by 3.8%. They have a median salary of $167,740.
5. ACCOUNTING
Accounting students focus on math, business, ethics, and law in their courses. They learn how to create and manage financial statements, budgets, and forecasts, while also focusing on taxes, auditing, reporting, data analysis, and more.
With a 1.9% unemployment rate, here’s a look at two careers you can enter with an accounting degree:
- Financial Risk Specialist
- Median salary: $106,000
- Projected growth (2024-2034): 6.5%
- Accountants and Auditors
- Median salary: $81,000
- Projected growth (2024-2034): 4.6%
6. SOCIAL SERVICES
Social Services programs can vary in name, depending on the school – it’s often called “Social Work.” Classes typically cover human behavior, psychology, sociology, social systems, welfare policies, advocacy, case management, organization, ethics, research methods, and similar topics. It has a low unemployment rate of 1.7%.
Just three potential careers are:
- Social and Community Service Manager
- Median salary: $78,000
- Projected growth (2024-2034): 6.4%
- Healthcare Social Worker
- Median salary: $68,000
- Projected growth (2024-2034): 7.7%
- Marriage and Family Therapist
- Median salary: $63,000
- Projected growth (2024-2034): 12.6%
7. AGRICULTURE
Agriculture has a 1.2% unemployment rate, but a high underemployment rate of 42.4%. Students learn how to produce food, manage natural resources, and apply business principles to farming. Courses can cover plant science, animal science, environmental science, technology, economics, and more.
Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers have a median salary of $87,000, but projected job growth is down – it’s expected to decrease by 1.3% between 2024 and 2034.
8. Early Education
Future elementary school teachers study school systems and regulations, curriculum design, instruction, child development, and child psychology, among other topics. Two specific areas of study see low unemployment numbers: Early Childhood Education at 1.3% and Elementary Education at 1.8%.
- Elementary School Teachers (excluding Special Education)
- Median salary: $62,000
- Projected job growth (2024-2034): -2%
- Preschool Teachers (excluding Special Education)
- Median salary: $37,000
- Projected job growth (2024-2034): 4.1%
9. EARTH SCIENCES
With an unemployment rate of just 1.5%, Earth Sciences majors have a strong chance of employment after graduation – though 40.5% are underemployed. Students study geology, earth history, planetary science, math, chemistry, physics, and more.
Here are two example jobs you can pursue with a degree in Earth Sciences:
- Natural Sciences Manager
- Median salary: $161,000
- Projected job growth (2024-2034): 3.7%
- Geoscientist
- Median salary: $99,000
- Projected job growth (2024-2034): 3.2%
10. CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Construction services, or construction management, prepares students to manage and supervise the construction process. Focuses can include mechanical, environmental, highway, commercial, residential, and more. Students can expect to learn about facilities management, project planning, budgeting, logistics, inventory management, and more. Construction Services majors have an unemployment rate of just 0.7%.
Construction managers have a median salary of $106,000. Between 2024 and 2034, the field is expected to grow 8.7%.
What should you major in?
While these college degrees tend to have lower unemployment rates, you shouldn’t necessarily feel you have to major in one. These numbers on their own don’t always tell the whole story. For example, while Agriculture has a 1.2% unemployment rate, it has a 42.4% underemployment rate – meaning 42.4% of Agriculture majors are working in positions that typically don’t require a bachelor’s degree.
When considering a major, unemployment rates should be part of your equation but not the only part you consider. You should also think about career goals, interests, strengths, weaknesses, salaries, projected job growth, and more.
Don’t see your intended major on this list? That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a low unemployment rate. To learn more about career fields and projected job growth make sure to use our College Major and Career Finder search tools.
