Nearly 3 in 4 Business Students Will Change Their Major
Choosing a college major is a huge decision. As a student, right away, you’re asked to make a choice about the kind of work you might want to do years down the road. This is often before you’ve had an internship, taken a college-level course in the field, or figured out what you like or what your niche might be. Without a doubt, that’s a really big task that can bring a lot of pressure.
Once you actually arrive on campus and dive into the coursework, things can also change quickly. We’ve all heard some version of the following: “I came in thinking I’d do one thing, and somehow I ended up doing something completely different.” A subject that sounded exciting in high school might feel completely different when put in practice in the classroom, and a class you almost didn’t take could spark an entirely new career path idea.
It turns out that the ‘Wait, maybe I want to do something else’ moment happens quite often, even after you’ve already declared a major and started taking classes.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of current business majors have changed their major at least once, according to new research from Sallie. To put things in perspective, 66% of students overall said they had changed their major at least once.
These numbers come from a July Fractl survey this year conducted on behalf of Sallie. They surveyed 1,007 U.S. adults who were currently undergraduates or had graduated within the previous five years. The survey looked at students’ major choices, their reasons for switching, and whether or not they felt better off after the switch.
WHY STUDENTS CHANGE COURSE
Why are students changing their academic paths? For many, it has to do with finding the right career path fit. Among students who switched majors, 44% said they found a subject they cared about more. This was the most common reason. Another 34% said their career goals had changed, while 19% shared that they had switched because their major yielded a higher salary. For business students, this means it’s quite likely you could discover a new and unexpected path during your time at school.
So – did switching majors actually pay off? Nearly seven in 10 students who switched (69%) said they felt more focused on their future afterward, and the same share said they would make the change again. A majority at 61% said the switch ultimately paid off in the job or career they landed.
One extra bit to note is that one out of four students who changed majors said they hadn’t realized beforehand that the move could add time or cost to their degree. Students who switched after their second year added about two semesters on average. For students already thinking about internships, recruiting and graduation, this switch could pose a timeline change.
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