Picking a College Major in 2025

Picking Your Major

So — starting high school, or about to finish high school — you still have time to pick a course of study for college. I know you’re probably juggling a lot. A lot. New responsibilities, jobs, college applications, scholarship applications, extracurricular activities, classes, maybe sports, music, whatever other hobbies you’ve got going on in high school, plus trying to make time to hang out with friends.

But picking a major is an important next step in your scholastic and professional journey. I know it’s a lot to think about. There isn’t really a “right” or “wrong” path — contrary to popular belief about college, or what social media says about certain careers paying more than others. But there is a right path for you. One that lines up with your interests, your passions, your skills, and your goals for your career and for your life.

Don’t get me wrong — your major is important. Factors like job outlook, industry growth, and salary baselines shouldn’t be overlooked. But that doesn’t mean your major defines you or limits you. I believe there are a range of paths where people find success. With the right skills, planning, and network, you can choose a path that works for you.

It’s not so much the degree itself, but what you make out of it: what you learn inside and outside the classroom, the relationships you build with professors and peers, and how you use your college’s resources to grow. The degree is the foundation — but how you apply it is what matters.

Notice — I’m not saying you have to study STEM in college. But I am saying STEM intersects everything we do today, from education to art to engineering. If STEM fits into your path of study, it opens doors. There’s no denying STEM is important. It’s not going away. In the U.S. and globally, there’s a shortage of STEM professionals. Science, technology, engineering, and math are the building blocks of society’s growth — from entertainment to infrastructure to medicine. We need STEM. STEM needs you.

1. Start With Your Interests

For me, I wrote down everything I was interested in. I used the Notes app on my iPhone, random scraps of notebook paper — whatever I had. I constantly looked at the list, added things, took things off, tried to figure out what really mattered.

And it wasn’t just academic interests like math or science or reading. I wrote down hobbies too. I was trying to find common threads in the things I actually spent my time doing.

For example, three things: building things, fashion, and gardening.

At first, they seemed totally different. But they had similarities. With plants, I loved the process of watching something grow and develop. With fashion, I paid attention to every detail — sneakers, distressed clothes, the little designs on Jordans or Air Maxes. With building, I was always tinkering — Legos, scrap wood, nails from old projects, anything I could get my hands on.

Different hobbies, but the same underlying theme: creating, designing, paying attention to detail.

Then I looked at my academics. I loved reading. I was good at math and science. I also had an interest in business, entrepreneurship, and technology. When I put it all together — designing, building, business, tech, problem-solving — it pointed me toward invention.

Of course, I realized there’s no “major for inventing.” But that reflection helped me land on engineering. It made sense.

2. Define Your Goals

The second thing is goals.

I wanted a good job. Economic stability. I wanted to learn and be challenged. I wanted to study something that kept up with society. I wanted to work in a field where I could see and feel impact — like a teacher seeing students thrive, or a doctor helping patients heal. For me, designing and building products that actually show up in society gave me that same sense of purpose.

So think about your goals. Not just career goals, but life goals. Where do you want to live — big city, small town? Warm weather, cold? What kind of financial situation do you want? What kind of work-life balance?

And think about future you. Will the version of you five or ten years from now thank you for the decisions you’re making today? Don’t just plan for the current you. Plan for the person you’re becoming.

3. Get Experience and Exposure

By now, hopefully you’ve narrowed down your list of interests and goals. Next step: get exposure.

Take career quizzes. They’re not perfect, but they give feedback and spark ideas. Volunteer. Shadow someone. Try an internship. Get into extracurriculars.

If you’re interested in medicine, shadow a doctor. If you’re into tech, check out your local library’s computer lab or 3D printing program. Find mentors in the fields you’re curious about. Ask them questions.

Look for opportunities at school too — AP classes, dual enrollment, clubs, competitions. And if your school doesn’t have what you’re looking for, look in your community. Organizations like NSBE, SWE, and SHPE have junior chapters where you can meet peers and professionals.

4. Match Majors to Schools

Once you have a list of majors you’re interested in, start matching them to schools.

For example, if marine biology is on your list, look at coastal schools. If you’re interested in history, maybe there’s a school with a professor doing work you’d love to study under. If medicine and chemistry are on your list, check out schools with strong pre-med tracks.

The key: don’t rule out schools too early based on assumptions like cost or reputation. Start with your interests first. Sometimes you’ll find scholarships or programs that make a school much more realistic than you thought.

5. Build a Support System

Finally — support.

Find people who can walk this journey with you. Friends who are also applying to colleges, so you can swap essays or vent when it gets stressful. Teachers who know you well and can help you sort through your thoughts. Family who can remind you of who you’ve always been.

In my case, my family reminded me that as a kid I was always building things, tinkering, trying to figure stuff out. That feedback confirmed I was on the right path.

This journey is challenging, but rewarding. Having people around you who see you, know you, and support you makes a huge difference.