According to the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, cited on the College Transitions website, here is a list of ten undergraduate science majors that are relatively easy to study in the United States. This list is based on the difficulty and interest of the major, which is a good reference for future college students.
The ten relatively easy undergraduate science majors in the United States are ranked as follows:
Top 1 Psychology Major
The psychology major explores the behavior, consciousness, and psychological states of humans and animals, and works to describe, explain, predict, and guide change in these phenomena.
In undergraduate programs in the United States, psychology typically consists of the following five subfields: clinical psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and psychostatistics.
Not only do these courses cover a variety of subject areas such as biology, chemistry, law, medicine, education, and business, but they are often considered interesting.
In terms of career prospects, psychology majors are equally attractive. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychologists earn a median salary of $85,330 per year, and the job is expected to grow by 6% by 2032, which is higher than the average for other occupations. Therefore, for students interested in psychology, this major is a good choice that is both easy to learn and has great career prospects.
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Top 2 Environmental science
As an interdisciplinary field, environmental science is committed to exploring the dynamic relationship between human activities and the natural environment, aiming to analyze the laws of environmental change and the interaction between humans and nature. It aims to provide a scientific basis and strategies for sustainable development practices.
The program deeply integrates the theories and knowledge of natural sciences and social sciences, covering a wide range of fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, geology, geography and resource technology, as well as social sciences such as resource management, demography and political science.
His research interests usually focus on key directions such as energy and environment, geology and earth environment, and urban atmospheric environment.
Taking Columbia University as an example, the Environmental Science major is affiliated with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and its core courses include climatology, solid earth science, and living systems, aiming to fully equip students with the core theoretical and applied skills of environmental science.
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary in environmental science is $76,480 and can reach up to $130,770.
Top 3 Nutritional Science
Nutritional science delves into the food supply chain, the nutritional elements in food, and the interaction of food in individual life, social structure, and ecosystems.
This discipline not only looks at food itself, but also analyzes the links between food and health, disease prevention, and quality of life more broadly.
With the increasing public awareness of healthy eating, the social status of nutritional science is increasing, providing graduates with a wide range of career opportunities in diverse fields.
These areas include, but are not limited to, medical and health institutions, rehabilitation centers, elderly care facilities, public health and government departments, educational institutions, and scientific research.
As a bridge to further study and development in the medical field, the Nutritional Sciences program is seen as an ideal pathway for students who wish to further their studies in medical school.
According to PayScale's data analysis, graduates with a bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences earn an average salary of about $72,000 per year, while top professionals earn up to $161,922 per year, demonstrating attractive career development potential and financial rewards in the field.
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Top 4 Agricultural Sciences
Agricultural science, which deeply explores the natural and economic laws in agricultural development, has a wide range of research fields, covering multiple dimensions such as agroecology, crop production, animal husbandry, agricultural engineering and agricultural economics, showing a high degree of discipline comprehensiveness.
This field is not only rich in curriculum content, closely integrated with theory and practice, but also has bright career prospects because of its application value in modern society.
According to the data of the American Salary website, the annual salary of agricultural scientists is usually between $70,327 and $95,492, while about 10% of professionals at the top of the industry can earn more than $108,416 per year, proving that agricultural science graduates have a broad space for development and a good salary package in the job market.
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Top 5 Information systems
The information systems major, which serves as a bridge between the fields of computer science, business management, and social sciences, is often attributed to the School of Management or the College of Arts and Sciences.
Students who study information systems have the opportunity to explore cutting-edge technology fields such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, social networking, neural networks, robotics, automated speech recognition, blockchain technology, autonomous vehicles, and more. The curriculum offered in this major is not only broad-based, but also has a special focus on flexibility and practicality.
In order to develop students' innovative ability and practical skills, many colleges and universities offer special courses such as innovation workshops, information technology service management, and special experimental projects in the information systems major to ensure that students can remain competitive in a rapidly changing technological environment.
According to the CMU official website, the average starting salary of information system graduates has reached $104,554, with an employment rate of 94%, and most of the graduates are employed by companies such as Apple, Amazon, IBM, and biotechnology, with very good prospects.
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Top 6 Geology
Geology, an important part of the College of Arts and Sciences, is dedicated to an in-depth study of the earth sciences, with a particular focus on the complex interactions between humans and the Earth's environment.
The programme covers not only the development and management of petroleum, water and mineral resources, but also the impact of geological hazards (e.g. earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity) on human society, as well as the long-term impact of climate change and global environmental evolution on ecosystems and human survival.
Through the systematic study of these key areas, the geology major aims to cultivate scientists and professionals who can understand the dynamic changes of the earth, and provide them with a solid academic foundation and practical ability to solve environmental challenges, rationally use natural resources, prevent and mitigate the effects of natural disasters, and adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.
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Geology graduates have a wide range of career paths, not only in the petroleum, mining, environmental protection and other industries, but also in environmental planning, environmental education and government agencies such as the Geological Survey, the State Environmental Protection Agency, urban and rural planning departments and other fields.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for geologists is $87,480, and industry jobs are expected to grow at a rate of 5% over the next decade, showing the importance of geology majors in the future of social development and the steady demand for professionals.
Top 7 Statistics
Statistics, known as the "panacea" of modern society, closely integrates multiple cutting-edge fields such as information technology, computer science, big data analysis and artificial intelligence, showing its unique interdisciplinary charm.
In the undergraduate education system of the United States, statistics covers the four core learning paths of biostatistics, financial statistics, applied statistics and mathematical statistics, and further expands to many interdisciplinary disciplines, such as economics, psychology, environmental science, etc., showing its wide academic coverage and far-reaching academic value.
Statistics has a wide range of applications, and its professional knowledge and skills play an irreplaceable role in the fields of banking, insurance and securities in the financial industry, and also occupy an important position in market research, consulting services and data analysis industries. Undoubtedly, statistics is playing an increasingly important role in all walks of life with its unique value and unlimited development potential.
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Top 8 Marine Biology, Zoology/Animal Science
In the United States, there are not many universities that specialize in marine biology independently, and generally only universities near the sea will open them, and the marine biology of the rest of the schools is basically covered by zoology or animal science.
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According to ZipRecruiter's latest salary data, animal scientists earn an average of $171,401 per year, significantly higher than the average annual salary of a marine biologist of $86,385.
Although there are large fluctuations in salaries in these two fields, due to the uniqueness and irreplaceability of professional positions, graduates in related fields have little to worry about employment.
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Top 9 Civil engineering
Civil engineering, as a branch of engineering, focuses on building the infrastructure of human habitation and activities. From the construction of houses to the laying of pipelines, from the maintenance of canals to the construction of military bases, to the development of important facilities such as port dams, airports and railways, the application of civil engineering is ubiquitous and is an indispensable cornerstone of modern society.
According to the Federal Savings Bank of New York's Graduate Labor Market Statistics Report, the average starting salary of civil engineering graduates has reached $65,000, and the unemployment rate for new graduates of this major is only 1.8%, significantly lower than the national average unemployment rate of 4.8%, demonstrating the strong attractiveness of the major in the labor market and the advantages of stable employment.
Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics further confirms the bright future for civil engineering majors, with jobs in civil engineering expected to grow by 5% by 2032, creating about 21,200 new jobs each year, faster than the average for many other career fields.
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Top 10 Computer Science
In today's era of "everything is programmable", while the core curriculum of the Computer Science (CS) major covers key areas such as programming languages, data structures, computer algorithms, operating systems, software engineering, Internet technology, and database management, other science majors are also widely integrated into the relevant courses of computer science, reflecting the universal application and importance of computer technology in various disciplines.
In undergraduate education in the United States, when students enter the critical stage of their junior year, they have more independent choices, and can choose to specialize in a more specific field or interdisciplinary study according to their personal interests and future career plans, so as to strengthen their professional skills and comprehensive competitiveness.
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Considering that computer science majors not only have significant ability to attract money, a wide range of employment opportunities, but also have bright prospects, graduates can almost be sure that they will be able to usher in a stable and promising future once they successfully complete their studies.
According to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, graduates in computer science and related fields earn an average salary of $136,620 per year.
Even more encouragingly, employment growth in this field is expected to reach 23% by 2032, which is much higher than the average growth rate for most other professions. This data not only reflects the importance of computer science majors in the current economic environment, but also indicates that the demand for professionals in this field will continue to grow in the coming years, providing students with promising career development prospects in related majors.
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However, as the College Transitions website points out, measuring the difficulty of a major is actually quite subjective. Each discipline has its own unique areas of study and learning challenges.
While pursuing academic achievement, one should not neglect to develop one's problem-solving skills and comprehensive qualities, which will play a vital role in one's future career.
Therefore, no matter which field of expertise you ultimately decide to devote yourself to, it is important not only to learn and master professional knowledge in depth, but also to strive to improve your comprehensive ability and adaptability. In this way, no matter in which industry, they can be like a fish in water and show their unique value and competitiveness.