Ranking The Best College Degrees for Employment in 2025

A new report by National University evaluates 74 college majors to identify the best degrees for graduates entering the job market in 2025. As students face a rapidly changing economy, choosing the right degree has never been more important.

This analysis utilizes unemployment rates, underemployment rates, and projected job growth through 2033 to rank 74 majors based on their employability. By understanding which fields dominate the rankings and which face more risk, prospective students can make smarter, career-focused education decisions.

Key Findings: Best Degrees for Employment in 2025

• STEM and Healthcare fields dominate the top rankings, with 8 STEM majors (40%) and 2 Healthcare majors (10%) comprising half of the top 20 positions.
• Nursing ranks #1 overall, with a 1.42% unemployment rate and high national demand; STEM fields are projected to show growth of up to 28.4% through 2033.
• Business and finance degrees (e.g., accounting, information systems) remain solid, offering stability and steady job growth of 6–7%.
• Students can future-proof their careers by pairing majors with certifications, data skills, or emerging fields such as cybersecurity and renewable energy.

Top 15 Best Degrees for 2025

The top-ranked majors for 2025 show a clear dominance of STEM and healthcare fields. Degrees such as nursing, mathematics, computer science, and various branches of engineering consistently offer low unemployment rates and strong growth potential. Students pursuing these programs benefit from high starting salaries, steady demand across industries, and long-term career security. 

For those seeking stable employment and clear advancement opportunities, these majors represent some of the best investments in higher education.

Analysis by Field

Different academic fields offer varying levels of job security, growth potential, and return on investment. STEM degrees, especially in engineering, computer science, and mathematics, lead across all key employment metrics, offering low unemployment rates, high starting salaries, and long-term demand.

Healthcare fields also rank highly, with nursing topping the list due to its exceptional job security and national demand. Business and finance majors, such as accounting and information systems, remain solid choices due to their consistent growth and broad applicability.

STEM Excellence

• Computer and Mathematical occupations show 12.9% projected growth.
• Engineering fields demonstrate consistently low unemployment (1–4%).
• Technology majors command the highest starting salaries ($65,000–$80,000).

Healthcare Dominance

• Nursing leads all majors with exceptional job security (1.42% unemployment).
• Healthcare practitioners face 8% projected growth through 2033.
• Strong salary progression from early to mid-career.

Education Sector

• Special Education shows strong demand due to workforce shortages.
• Elementary and Early Childhood Education offer job security but modest pay.
• Education administrators face limited growth (0.6%).

Business and Finance

• Accounting provides reliable employment with 6.9% sector growth.
• Business operations specialists show 7.1% growth.
• Finance roles increasingly require specialized skills.

Employment Growth Projections by Sector

Employment growth projections by sector reveal which industries are expected to expand most rapidly through 2033. Understanding these trends helps students and job seekers align their education and skills with areas of long-term demand. Fields such as technology, healthcare, and business operations are forecast to experience the strongest growth, creating steady opportunities for graduates entering the workforce.

Highest Growth Sectors (2023–2033):

• Mathematical Science Occupations: 28.4%
• Software and Web Developers: 14.7%
• Occupational Health and Safety: 14.3%
• Computer and Information Analysts: 16.3%
• Computer and Mathematical Occupations: 12.9%

Moderate Growth Sectors:

• Architecture and Engineering: 6.8%
• Business and Financial Operations: 6.9%
• Life, Physical, and Social Sciences: 7.5%
• Management Occupations: 7.3%

Limited Growth Sectors:

• Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, Media: 4.0%
• Educational Instruction and Library: 3.0%
• Community and Social Services: 8.0%

The 2025 job market strongly favors STEM graduates, with Computer Science, Mathematics, and Engineering fields offering the best combination of job security, growth prospects, and earning potential. Healthcare, particularly Nursing, provides exceptional stability.

Traditional liberal arts majors face significant challenges, with high rates of underemployment suggesting a fundamental mismatch between degree preparation and available career opportunities. 

How to Choose the Right Degree Based on Job Security

Selecting a college major is more than following trends, it’s about aligning personal goals with market realities. Students can use data on unemployment, underemployment, and growth rates to identify which fields best match their values, whether that’s income, job stability, or meaningful work. 

Creating a personal career-decision framework, such as ranking what matters most (salary, flexibility, impact), can help narrow choices. Some schools even offer online quizzes or advising tools to help students identify degrees that align with their priorities and strengths.

Degrees with Rising Demand Despite Low Historical Rankings

Some fields are emerging as high-growth opportunities even though they’ve traditionally ranked lower in employability lists. Cybersecurity, data analytics, renewable energy technology, and health informatics are examples of fast-evolving careers that didn’t exist, or weren’t mainstream, a decade ago. Students willing to enter these cutting-edge areas may benefit from rapid job creation, skill shortages, and high starting salaries. Highlighting these majors shows that rankings aren’t static and can shift as industries innovate.

What to Do If You Have Already Chosen a Low-Ranked Major

Choosing a degree with lower employment prospects doesn’t have to limit your future. Students can boost their marketability through double majors, minors, or certifications in more technical or in-demand fields. Graduate school, online credentials, or short-term bootcamps can also bridge the gap between a passion-driven major and career-ready skills. 

Taking proactive steps, such as internships, networking, and skill-building courses, can turn a so-called “risky” major into a springboard for diverse and rewarding opportunities.

Methodology

Data Sources:

• Federal Reserve Bank of New York: College Labor Market Outcomes
  • Unemployment rates by major (ages 22-27)
  • Underemployment rates by major
  • Median wages (early and mid-career)
  • Source: 2019-2023 American Community Survey

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections 2023-2033
• 10-year projected employment growth rates by occupation
• BLS econometric modeling methodology

Scoring System:

The composite score is a single number (0–100) that combines three employment metrics to rank how “good” each college major is for job prospects.

• 40% Weight: Unemployment Rate (lower is better)
  • Formula: (Highest Rate − The Major’s Rate) ÷ (Highest − Lowest) × 40
• 30% Weight: Underemployment Rate (lower is better)
  • Formula: (Highest Rate − The Major’s Rate) ÷ (Highest − Lowest) × 30
• 30% Weight: Projected Employment Growth 2023-2033 (higher is better)
  • Formula: (The Major’s Rate − Lowest) ÷ (Highest − Lowest) × 30

Sample Size: 74 college majors with complete data

Data Ranges:

• Unemployment Rate: 0.4%–9.4%
• Underemployment Rate: 9.7%–67.2%
• Projected Growth Rate: 4.0%–12.9%

Example

Nursing’s score (Rank #1):

Nursing’s Raw Data:

• Unemployment Rate: 1.1%
• Underemployment Rate: 9.7%
• Projected Growth Rate: 6.2%

Step 1 – Unemployment Component (40% weight)

• Calculation: (9.4% − 1.1%) ÷ (9.4% − 0.4%) × 40
• Result: 36.9 points

Step 2 – Underemployment Component (30% weight)

• Calculation: (67.2% − 9.7%) ÷ (67.2% − 9.7%) × 30
• Result: 30.0 points

Step 3 – Growth Component (30% weight)

• Calculation: (6.2% − 4.0%) ÷ (12.9% − 4.0%) × 30
• Result: 7.4 points

Step 4 – Final Composite Score

• Sum: 36.9 + 30.0 + 7.4 = 74.3

Interpretation

• Nursing’s score of 74.3 means it performs very well across all metrics.
• Higher scores indicate better employment outcomes.
• Scores in this study range from 5.9 (worst) to 79.1 (best).

Why These Weights?

• Unemployment (40%): Most important — can you get a job at all?
• Underemployment (30%): Are you using your degree effectively?
• Growth (30%): Will there be jobs in the future?

Limitations and Considerations

Data Limitations:

• Based on recent graduates (may not reflect long-term career outcomes)
• Economic conditions can change rapidly
• Some majors have small sample sizes

Economic Context:

• Analysis reflects post-pandemic labor market conditions
• Automation and AI may affect future projections
• Remote work trends may alter geographic considerations
• Economic cycles can impact different sectors differently