A look at some of the best bachelor’s degrees for soon-to-be or current college students, based on the expected job growth and salaries of different occupations. In the current economy, a college degree is more important than ever.
It has been reported that having a four-year degree can result in a wage increase of up to $60,000 over someone who only has an associate’s degree. To ensure that you are getting the best possible education and preparing yourself for a successful future, here are the top five universities with the best degrees for 2018,
Which College Degrees Are Best For The Future?
When deciding on which bachelor’s degree you would like to pursue, there are several factors that you should consider. While it’s a good idea to enter into a field that interests you, you also want to consider your future and the end of that industry. The world constantly changes, and a job in demand a few years ago may no longer be by the time you graduate.
To help you decide, below are some of the best college degrees for the future, based on how they measure up against the median job when it comes to salary ($37,040 annually) and job growth from 2016 to 2026 (7 percent).
Standard Bachelor’s Degree Program Admission Requirements
Before you can pick which degree you want to pursue, you need to get accepted into the program. Requirements vary from school to school and program to program, but a few underlying factors are common to most programs. For starters, you’ll need to graduate from high school with relatively good grades. Beyond that, you’ll need to score well on your SAT Test or the ACT.
Finally, many colleges require a written essay and their application, and you’ll want to spend plenty of time on this to ensure you do the best possible job. Once you’ve met these requirements, you can begin thinking about which college degree is best for your future.
Civil Engineering
A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering will allow you to become a civil engineer. Civil engineers essentially work on every part of the process for infrastructure projects. They design, build, and maintain things like buildings, roads, tunnels, and airports and provide an invaluable service to the public and private sectors. There is never a shortage of projects for civil engineers to work on, and as our society grows – and the old structures begin to wear down – civil engineers will become even more critical.
The median pay for a civil engineer was $83,540 in 2016. Job opportunities are expected to rise 11 percent through 2026, much faster than the average of 7 percent for other occupations.
Finance
When you get a degree in finance, you can take many career paths, but one of the most promising is that of a financial manager. A financial manager is responsible for the financial health of an organization, producing reports, developing strategies, and directing investments in the process. Financial managers typically earn a good living, with the median annual wage in 2016 hitting $121,750.
Since companies and individuals are always looking for help with their finances, you’ll also have plenty of job opportunities. This field is expected to grow 19 percent through 2026, which is much faster than the average.
Computer Science
As more of the world comes to rely on computers, jobs in this area continue to grow. With a computer science degree, you can enter into web development, computer network architecture, or software development. Of the many options, software development is one of the more promising paths. This is because software developers create all of the programs we use on our computers, whether a word processor, video game, or running a network.
Pay is excellent as a software developer, with the median annual income being $102,280 in 2016, much higher than the median for all jobs. Not only that, but you can expect plenty of job opportunities in this field going forward, with the industry expected to grow 24 percent through 2026, much faster than the average job.
Nursing
Finally, not all of the best jobs for the future rely heavily on numbers or computers. So if you’d rather spend your time helping people in a hands-on fashion, consider getting your bachelor’s degree in nursing and becoming a registered nurse. Demand for this job is expected to be high, with expected growth of 15 percent through 2026.
This is likely due to the increase in population while the Baby Boomers are nearing retirement. So not only is there a high demand, but registered nurses earn a good living, with a median salary of $68,450 per year.
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