Choosing a path to help shape a lifelong career is no easy task, and it shouldn’t be treated as such. Luckily there’s a lot of advice out there about which college major is best for your goals and many online resources to help you make this decision. Here are five websites that can help you as you figure out which major is right for you.
1. College Majors 101
True to its name, College Majors 101 allows you to navigate majors based on category and insightfully fills you in on both the major and associated career field(s). After selecting a major to explore, the site automatically connects you to the college profiles offering the major. The profile allows you to explore professional associations with the major, links to industry publications in the major’s field, and even a networking platform with future employers to explore potential recruitment.
Related: Kiplinger’s 10 Best College Majors for a Lucrative Career
2. Campus Explorer
Determining your college major requires more than just subject interest: it can determine which college you’ll attend, what type of GPA you’ll have to maintain, and other factors that need to be pre-determined to fit your experience in the major. Unfortunately, every major isn’t offered at every college, so requirements aren’t universal, but Campus Explorer does a great job helping you determine what you need to know. Its detailed search engine provides easy access to narrow down those factors and offers features to filter the school type, in- and out-of-state tuition, degree type, location, and school option (e.g., online, classroom, public, private) for different majors.
3. College Data
College Data not only connects you to informational major resources but helps you develop your college major search strategy too. The site’s home page offers a step-by-step guide from exploring your ideas for college to becoming a college graduate. The site offers self-help resources such as “The ABCS of College Majors” and “How to Find Colleges With Strength in Your Major.” Finding your ideal major may be as simple as tweaking your search process. The site also offers a neat feature called “Major Mythology” to keep you protected from all the false information surrounding different majors.
4. The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review offers a search engine and a “Guide to Choosing College Majors” to help students explore types of majors by category, academic departments, and colleges that offer them nationwide. The site provides tuition costs, admission guidelines, and acceptance rates at each college so you can navigate the pros and cons of entering a major by location. It also offers resources on statistics regarding certain majors, breakdowns of different types of majors and minors, and expert advice on the varying admission processes of different majors.
Related: Top Tips for the College Search When You're Pursuing an Atypical Major
5. College Factual
If you’re looking for a more psychological approach to choosing your ideal major, look no further than College Factual. The site is a personalized service to explore your personality traits and evaluate which career field(s) those traits perform best in. The site explores varying personality types and connects you with the site’s Major Matcher engine to view what majors align with your interests and natural abilities. Sometimes your college major determines your lifelong career path, so it’s safe to assume your talent and abilities are prioritized in making the final decision.
If any of these websites help you choose a major, come back to CollegeXpress and use our College Search tool to find schools offering the programs you're looking for.
