It’s a question we get a lot. It’s natural to wonder what everyone else is majoring in when you’re making the oh-so-difficult decision to select a major. What are your peers doing? How did they decide? No matter how you make that decision, it’s hard not to wonder what others are doing and how they decided. And it’s harder to answer than you might think.
While knowing stats on a school’s top major might be a good way to gauge interest or popularity on the surface level, we like to dive a little deeper at CSU. We’ve got stellar academics, undergraduate research, hands-on learning, a knack for allowing students to design their own academic experience, and internships galore within every major we offer. So, if we’re being honest, we’ve got a lot of top majors here. What do you love? What sparks your interest? For us, that’s our top major.
I mean, we’ve got the numbers
OK, if you’re looking for straight-up data, we’ve got that. For some, a top major might mean the major with the most students. It might mean the major with the most graduates. It might be the major with the highest job-placement rate. And it might just be the major with the most interest. Here are a few of those numbers we dug up for you.
CSU’s top 10 majors by latest incoming class*
- Business Administration
- Exploratory Studies/Undeclared
- Psychology
- Mechanical Engineering
- Health and Exercise Science
- Computer Science
- Biomedical Sciences
- Biology
- Zoology
- Animal Science
CSU’s top 10 majors by highest job-placement rates**
- Business Administration
- Construction Management
- Computer Science
- Art
- Biomedical Sciences
- Electrical Engineering
- Interior Architecture and Design
- Natural Resources Tourism
- Math
- Neuroscience
Nationally, the National Center for Education Statistics ranks business as the major with most-awarded degrees, followed by health professions, social sciences and history, engineering, and biology.
We don’t like to look at it that way, though
But for us? A top major is all those things and it’s none of those things. It’s the major you choose, you thrive in, and take into your future career. We’ve got students in every major from art to zoology who will say without a doubt their major is the top major. So, what is our top major? It’s every single major we offer. You can choose from 74+ majors with 250+ concentrations and pair them with hundreds of minors, certifications, internship and research opportunities … so, we’re pretty confident your top major at CSU is going to be because it’s your very own personalized, customized experience.
Our counselors and admissions specialists agree
“I always tell students what we’re most well known for and what our most-popular majors are. Then I ask them what they want to study. I think some students want to know if we have “good” programs or if the one they’re interested in will be worth it. Popularity by numbers is a simple way for them to test that (“It must be good if so many students choose it”). Ultimately, I think students want to know if we have programs that fit their aspirations, and I’m always confident that we do.”
-Senior Associate Director of Admissions
“When a student asks me what CSU’s top major is, I want to know more about the academic areas that get them excited. With so many exceptionally strong majors to choose from, it’s important that I can connect a student to the academic program that will be their top major—a program that will align with their areas of academic strength or passion, provide opportunities that connect their experiences in the classroom to their goals, and an academic home where they will thrive.”
– Associate Director for Strategic Initiatives
“When someone asks me what CSU’s top major is, I ask them what matters most to them. Then we talk about what matters and how they might explore majors (and minors and concentrations and other educational opportunities!) that fit their values and their aspirations.”
-Admissions Coordinator
*Data is based on Fall 2023 incoming student enrollment.
**Data is based on a graduation survey from the 2021 class.
