DID YOU KNOW? About a third of college students change their major at least once. Ten-percent change multiple times!
Research shows that less than one-third of college grads have a job that’s even related to their major. Still, it’s interesting to see what today’s college students are studying, and how that’s changed over the years.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison tracked which of its majors added the most students from fall 2018 to fall 2022.
NOTE: The UW-Madison acknowledges there are also many smaller programs (like Legal Studies and Wildlife Ecology) that are surging in percentages relative to their size, in addition to some majors (like Nursing) with capacity caps that limit growth. This ranking only reflects total “headcount enrollment.”
#5. Global Health
+357 students, since it was first offered in 2019
Housed under the College of Agricultural & Life Sciences, Global Health majors study bioscience and public health as they intersect with climate change, food systems, disease ecology and other issues. Their goal? To improve access to and awareness of health–whether across the ocean or in their own backyard.
#4. Psychology
+363 students
Psychology majors are in high demand as mental health continues to be an intensifying concern worldwide. This program gives students the skills needed for a variety of careers, including health care, law, business, and education.
#3. Consumer Behavior and Marketplace Studies
+410 students
In the School of Human Ecology, this program helps students positively influence global commerce and technology from a people-first perspective—blending business, analytics, and technology with creativity and empathy.
#2. Computer Science
+642 students
Computer Science is not only one of the fastest-growing majors, but one of the largest! Designed to help students thrive in the digital age, the UW recently redeveloped all entry-level courses and hired more faculty to keep up with demand.
#1. Data Science
+914, since it was first offered in 2019
Like Computer Science, Data Science is part of the new School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences (CDIS), which was formed in 2019 to combine statistics, computer sciences, and the iSchool with new majors in emerging fields.
FUN FACT: The UW-Madison offers 130 different undergraduate majors. Click here for the full list!
And click here to find out which majors fell just shy of the Top 5.
Christina Lorey A former producer, reporter, and anchor for TV stations in Madison and Moline, Illinois, Christina has been a coach and mentor for Girls on the Run and has organized events for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
