People often discuss certain courses as being more difficult than others. Comparing one major course with another is something that we have learned from listening to conversations of our seniors or even our parents. However, there are some aspects of a college major degree that we can take into consideration while assessing the toughest of them.
Difficulty in pursuing a field is a matter of subjectivity. For you, there might be some easiest college majors, but your friend might find it disinteresting and hard to grasp.
Yet, there are certain variables of a major that help us know the magnitude of difficulty in understanding. These variables could be the study time required, time spent on theory and practical application, or the amount of cognitive energy required to process knowledge. So, to give you an idea, here are the top 20 hardest college majors you can consider. Make sure to click the links below to find out how and where you can study these courses.
Is it Good to Study Hard Majors in College Abroad?
The answer will depend on the student because studying abroad alone can be challenging. However, if you’re going to take one of these hard majors in another country, it can open many perspectives for you. For example, not all engineering majors, such as Nuclear Engineering or Aerospace Engineering, are available in all countries. So if you’re aiming for a specific engineering major and you study it in a country that has a reputation for it, even if it’s hard, you’ll have a solid foundation for it.
In What Country is University the Hardest?
Higher education has always been the most challenging phase in one’s academic journey. Some countries are known for how strict they are, especially when it comes to tertiary education degrees. Studying in countries like South Korea, Japan, and Finland tends to be quite tough for international students. The main challenge students face as soon as they arrive in one of these countries is the language barrier. Korean, Japanese, and Finnish are challenging languages to learn, especially for students who have no background in these languages or speak a language of the same language family. Most lectures in South Korea, for example, are taught in Korean. Notably, not all universities in these countries are tough. English is quite common in most of them, and you can get by if you are proficient in English, but you’ll have to rely on yourself to understand your lectures. If self-studying is something you are into, you can get your degree in any of these countries with relative ease.
Check Also: Bachelor’s Programs for International Students
20 Hardest Majors in College
1. Architecture
Architecture is one of the most multi-dimensional fields. It is a blend of art, science, and technology. Along with these, it demands creativity while keeping in mind an understanding of modern social, cultural, and practical demands. Theory and its practical application in college degrees are two stepping stones to creating a strong base of its fundamentals.
Students are trained in building accurate 3D designs with their hands and on computers. Along with this, a thorough knowledge of architectural history, its revolution, and its modern-day trends are some important aspects that aspirants need to learn.
Once done with the degree, individuals dedicate their time to the land subdivision industry or research and development while a major portion of them are self-employed. Typically, it’s a 5-year Bachelors in Architecture in the US and 2-3 years of master’s in the same. Some of the best universities to study Architecture are:
2. Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering is a multi-disciplinary field that requires a thorough knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology, microbiology, and biochemistry.
Along with this, this hard college major requires an aptitude for mathematics and economics during real-life scenarios. Chemical engineers understand the chemical mechanism of objects and organisms around us and solve problems to make a more comfortable environment for everyone.
From carbon nanotubes to fog harvesting, every possible field is covered in a college chemical degree. Bachelor’s courses are usually 3-5 years long and are suitable for people with a strong interest in chemistry and mathematics. The average salary of chemical engineers is $74,000. Among the best chemical engineering schools are:
3. Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace Engineering studies involve using mathematics and science to build and design spacecraft, airplanes, and missiles. Sure this hard college major sounds very interesting and impressive, but it is also one of the toughest tasks.
Students go through vigorous training in applied and theoretical aspects of physics, chemistry, and engineering. Practical projects are given immense importance and students are also supposed to prepare their own prototypes.
In their final years, aspirants can specialize in propulsion, thermodynamics, structure, control, and avionics. The average salary of aerospace engineers in the US is $80,000. Besides the US, studying Aerospace Engineering in Europe can be a power-move, leading you to even more lucrative career prospects.
See Also: Best Aerospace Engineering Schools in the World
4. Information Technology
Information Technology holds a bright future for us and hence it’s no surprise that a significant number of people are working in the IT industry.
With its increasing industry demands, many students have started pursuing it from an undergraduate level, which was an unlikely thing to do a decade ago. Students are vigorously trained in programming, computer languages, database management, machine learning, and other software.
IT bachelor’s degree is usually divided into four years with the last two dedicated to advanced learning in the field with specializations. IT bachelors can go on to become computer support specialists, network architects, programmers, database managers, and IT scientists. Some of the universities for Information Technology you should check out are:
5. Bioengineering
Bioengineering is the culmination of two sciences, biology, and engineering, where students explore the ways in which biomedical and biological systems could be studied, worked upon, and improved through modern engineering techniques.
This hard major in college promotes scientific discovery, exploration of healthcare and medicine, policy formation, education, and better environmental quality. Students require a fantastic aptitude for anatomy, mathematics, engineering, chemistry, and physics.
These core competencies help students work alongside medical practitioners to develop better healthcare solutions and indulge in research and development for policy formation.
See Also: Best Biomedical Engineering Schools in the World
6. Economics
Money is what moves our world, and studying economics helps us know how and where it’s moving. A BA or a B.Sc in Economics prepares students for banking, insurance, business economics, agricultural economics, and international economics.
Individuals master statistics, calculus, econometrics, and micro and macroeconomics. The bachelor’s degree is spread across 3 years. All programs have a GPA system where students need to maintain a score of 2.5 and above.
Some of the best colleges in the world including Stanford, Harvard, and Chicago University provide the best bachelor’s in economics.
7. Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum runs our life today and hence each of its products is very important to us for our survival. Petroleum engineering studies explore every field related to petroleum; discovering oil wells, evaluating its potential, maximizing its production, and storage and transportation.
Though a major in petroleum engineering is more often available in post-graduate courses, the recent shift to clean energy has provoked people to take it during their under graduation.
A master’s degree in the field requires a strong background in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and computing skills.
Students in their final year can opt for specialization in geology, well drilling, petroleum production, geophysics, energy economics, and reservoir analysis. The average salary of petroleum engineers is $101,000. These universities are considered the best if you’re looking to pursue Petroleum Engineering:
8. Astronomy
Astronomy studies usually a 3-4 year course at the undergraduate level and 1-2 years at the masters. This hard college major does not require any prior knowledge of the field but demands a strong base in mathematics, physics, and other sciences in general.
A degree in any of the astronomy courses is that of a strong theoretical and conceptual framework since students deal with celestial objects which are not even visible to the naked eye, let alone studying the nearest ones which we have managed to reach.
Core subjects to be dealt with under astronomy are the solar system, astrophysics, mathematics, physics, planetary astronomy, and stellar astronomy.
Some of the universities offering Astronomy as an undergraduate major are:
9. Mathematics
Most of us have had our personal rage against mathematics at school. Hence, it’s no surprise that it makes it to this list of hardest college majors. Any study degree in mathematics at any level deals with a great deal of reasoning, critical thinking, formulas, and other technicalities.
The courses under a mathematics major deal with either general, pure, or applied mathematics. Some basic subjects that are covered across all the courses are algebra, differential calculus, geometry, statistics, and probability.
Some of the specializations in this major are topology and foundations, analysis and functional analysis, algebra, and number theory, geometric analysis, and applied mathematics.
Besides MIT, some of the top schools you should consider if you’re looking to pursue Mathematics as a college major are:
10. Psychology
Studying Psychology means exploring in depth an individual’s as well as society’s behavior. People usually have the notion that this hard college major is one of the easiest majors to pursue due to it not being a part of the usual sciences, but that’s not the case.
A bachelor’s in psychology is a very broad field, usually taking 3-4 years to complete, where students have a lot to read. It is only in a master’s that one gets to specialize in a stream.
Also, it involves writing a lot of lengthy research papers which get tedious sometimes. The positive about doing a major in psychology is that it leaves other doors open for a student to pursue, hence making it a popular option, but far from an easy one.
Among the best colleges you should consider for your Psychology major are:
11. Philosophy
Philosophy is probably the only subject on this list that is applicable everywhere yet has very bleak career options. A significant aspect of a student’s life pursuing philosophy is reading; reading being devouring knowledge from a library full of books on ancient philosophy, mind, and matter, computer philosophy, logic, racism, sexism, school and society, and the state.
Students develop a deep critical thinking ability while debating over paradoxes, society, existence, and nature.
While writing essays on a particular area, students need to thoroughly understand the technicalities of it in order to make necessary conclusions on a completely different dimension. People pursuing philosophy often take teaching as a career option.
Check Also: Best Philosophy Schools in Europe
12. Physics
To put in simple words, physics deals with the laws of nature and the relationship between energy and matter. Sounds perfect, but over the years, many great men have enlightened upon these laws and made it a fact that physics is one of the toughest subjects to pursue.
This hard college major is so broad that aspirants learn about various fields of studies which are common in every specialization, their subfields, and a couple of branches further in these subfields.
When they are past this, they specialize in a field like thermodynamics, astronomy, applied physics, or nuclear physics, etc. A strong mathematical background always helps in physics while pursuing either a bachelor’s or master’s or even double-masters in the subject. A physics bachelor’s degree can get you salaries as high as $64000 per year.
These schools offer the best Physics programs in the world.
13. Biochemistry
Biochemistry studies the chemical composition of biological beings and how it affects the organisms. Students are trained in chemistry and biology on a theoretical and practical basis.
A major portion of the courses is dedicated to experiments in the laboratory where individuals explore molecular genetics, protein chemistry, and organic chemistry. A strong mathematical and physics background goes a long way in this major.
Apart from mainstream careers in biotechnology, biogenetics, and medicine, students can also pursue biostatistics and medical informatics. The salaries of these jobs go as high as $100,000.
These are the universities that you should consider if you’re looking to major in Biochemistry:
14. Geology
Studying geology involves exploring the earth’s physical and chemical structure and hence addressing pressing concerns such as climate change. A bachelor’s in geology requires a strong aptitude for all sciences in general along with mathematics.
Students learn in detail about the origin of natural landscapes, species, climate, ecosystems, and evolution. A not very sought-after field, geology is for those who are close to nature and have a curiosity to understand how our earth functions.
Possible careers in geology are geophysics, geochemist, geoscientist, hydrogeologist, and mud logger. The average salary for a geologist is $90,000.
Besides the top universities in the US, here are other universities where you can major in Geology:
15. Computer Engineering
Computer engineering deals with the design and construction of computers and similar products that serve us in our daily life. This hard college major is available to aspirants on undergraduate as well as post-graduate levels.
A strong foundation in mathematics and science is a prerequisite of this major. Students are trained in testing the functionality of hardware and software, computing languages, calculus, programming, logic, robotics, AI, and advanced data base.
A degree in computer engineering is one of the most sought-after yet difficult ones to get. Its technicality over the years has increased and hence individuals backed up with its skills are hired everywhere.
Possible career options in this field are hardware engineering, computer programming, electronics engineering, and software development.
Aside from Carnegie Mellon University, MIT, and Georgia Tech, among the most popular universities for Computer Engineering studies are:
16. Finance and Accounting
Studying finance and accounting helps students understand the behavior of financial markets and businesses. Thorough learning of course subjects such as taxation, derivatives, accounting, investment management, and auditing gives individuals the required skills to manage and run a business profitably.
A bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting is usually 3-4 years long and students can pursue banking, auditing, consultancy and financial management, and investment analysis. The average salary for students from finance and accounting backgrounds is $69,000.
Some of the universities that offer finance and accounting, undergraduate majors are:
17. Biotechnology
Biotechnology involves studying living organisms and technically applying it to solve problems by building new products. These products could be vaccines, medicines, food additives, and hormones.
Biotechnology is generally pursued post-graduation by students with a background in biology. A student can become a microbiologist, food scientist, biochemist, and agricultural chemist. Biotechnology studies involve the principles of biochemistry, the immune system, DNA, and cell and tissue culture during the program period.
The average salary of people with a biotechnology background could vary between $50,000 and $400,000, depending upon the area of expertise of the individual.
These universities offer Biotechnology majors:
18. Political Science
A political science degree is best suited for people who are interested in current affairs, the different government establishments across the globe, and policy-making and its impact on people.
Students learn in detail about different aspects of public administrations, how campaigns are formed, and how public opinions are influenced.
It heavily focuses on research, analysis, and writing and understanding public documents. The average salary for students from political science backgrounds is between $50000 and $100,000. Despite the earning potential in the industry, it’s also one of the programs you can study for minimal costs, as there are some free Political Science schools that charge no tuition to their students.
Other than these leading universities for Political Science, here are other colleges you should consider if you want to pursue this field:
19. Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering involves the use of mathematical and scientific principles to build machines and tools for specific purposes in production and other processes.
In this hard major in college, students can focus on areas like robotics, heat transfer, elevator technology, and fracture mechanics. The course requires a great deal of personal creativity since students have to invent and innovate a lot. The courses cover in detail about calculus, circuits and electronics, chemistry, thermodynamics, mechanics of materials, and electrical energy conversion.
The average salary for mechanical engineers is $85,000. Considering that it’s one of the most lucrative jobs these days, one can easily expect that the tuition rates might also be high. However, it’s quite the contrary. You can even find free Mechanical Engineering schools in some countries.
Check Also: Best Mechanical Engineering Schools in Europe
20. Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering revolves around the physics and mathematics of electromagnetism, electronics, and electricity. Electrical engineering studies also includes a lot of abstract thinking, which is mostly not the case with other engineering areas. Current in a wire cannot be seen; hence students need to have a strong fundamental base to design and develop gadgets.
Career options after a degree in electrical engineering are telecommunication engineer, electronic engineer, IT technician, consultant, and project manager. On average, electrical engineers earn around $70,000 a year. To make the best out of this study field, money-wise, consider going to tuition-free Electrical Engineering schools.
Learn More: Best Electrical Engineering Schools in the World
The above-mentioned list of 20 hardest college majors might include some fields which are easy for you but not for everyone. However, these majors can be considered a bit more lengthy and tedious to understand and when compared to some others. They require a strong base in certain subjects and more time due to their technical aspects. Still, you can pursue any of them and make a successful career for yourself.
It’s also worth planning possible bumps along your way, such as the financial aspect of starting college. And if you’re looking to study abroad, look for universities where you can get additional funding, such as scholarships and grants. To help you out, check out this guide about increasing your chances of getting a scholarship.
We hope that this article on hard majors in college was helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Bachelor’s Programs for International Students!
