Choosing a college major is no simple task. Students across the United States consider a variety of factors when making a decision that could define their future careers.
According to a study conducted by the Grand Canyon University Experience team, 19% of Americans reported choosing their major for a guaranteed high income, while 81% selected their field of study for love of the subject. The report also said that Gen Z is more concerned about future earnings than millenials.
The conversation surrounding choice of college major has become particularly relevant in Mississippi. In September 2023, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White released a report titled, “Plugging the Brain Drain: Investing in College Majors That Actually Work.” The report advocates for more “investment in college degree programs with graduates who are likely to obtain a high-paying job in Mississippi.”
According to White’s report, college degrees in education and health professions yielded the highest median income for recent graduates and percent of graduates who stayed in Mississippi after three years. Meanwhile, degrees in business, engineering and biological sciences tended to lead Mississippi college graduates out of the state.
While some may be choosing their major based on passion or financial prospects alone — many University of Mississippi students are finding ways to balance both.
Some students looking for a high future salary may choose the pre-law track.
According to the National Association for Law Placement, the average salary for the class of 2020 law school graduates with a full-time job for at least one year was $102,858. For private practices, the number increases to approximately $130,000. Of the salaries reported, 35.5% said they make a salary north of $100,000.
However, sophomore law studies major Macy Cassidy said her passion for the subject outweighed notions of future financial success.
“I really never thought of the money after finishing school when choosing what major I wanted to pursue,” Cassidy said. “I was more focused on criminology, but then I decided pre-law would be a better major for what I wanted to do.”
Cassidy shared that, while she knows some people are enrolled in the law studies major for the end goal of financial success, she enjoys her studies.
“I do enjoy the classes in my major a lot,” Cassidy said. “They are challenging and do consist of a lot of work, but I feel like I am interested in the subjects so doing the work is not bad.”
Pre-medicine is another common track for students looking to bring home a high salary in the future.
Biology professor Sharday Ewell said that in the science department, many students are pursuing pre-medicine careers with hopes of securing high-paying jobs, despite the field often requiring long hours and many years of school.
Ewell said she can usually tell the difference between students who are truly passionate about their major and those who are not.
“Of course, you’re going to have students who view it as a means to an end. They say, ‘I’ve got to make this score to go to medical school,’” Ewell said.
Delaney McNear is a freshman at UM. While on the pre-med track, she has settled on philosophy as her major.
“Being in philosophy, it’s definitely seen as the epitome of a worthless major,” McNear said. “I was definitely told that, you know, if I don’t add the (pre-medicine) part onto it, people are like, well, what are you going to do with it?”
Sophomore music education major Dekylan Jones ditched worries about income to pursue a passion.
“Originally, I was a math major with a minor in music. I (initially) chose math because I knew that the career choices would be wider. However, I found it quickly boring,” Jones said.
Jones said music brought him peace and a sense of fulfillment.
“The classes that are for my major are the ones I look forward to and have fun with, and the people as well since the classes and labs are much smaller and most of them will be with me all four years,” Wadsworth said.
Junior marketing and insurance major Kimber Spelts said that while her courses may not seem exciting to the average person, she finds them interesting and in line with her goals for the future.
“My first insurance class was eye opening and made my vision clear for pursuing my career in the insurance industry,” Spelts said. “There’s no doubt the classes are challenging, but they are setting me up for success.”
Assistant Professor of History Alexandra Lindgren-Gibson acknowledged the intimidating nature of changing your educational plan, but encouraged students to find a path they are passionate about.
“If you’re training yourself to do something that you’re just not that into, you’re training yourself for a really long life of being not that into eight hours of your day,” Lindgren-Gibson said. “Ultimately, as long as you get a degree and figure out what you actually enjoy doing with your time and get a job that allows you to do that — whether it’s within the context of the job or outside the context of the job — that is what actually makes for a satisfying life.”
