economy

Here are the college majors that new grads regret the most, according to a recent survey

April 24, 2026 / 11:49 AM EDT / CBS News

Here are the college majors that new grads regret the most, according to a recent survey

TL;DR

  • Approximately one in five recent graduates regret their college major, according to a ZipRecruiter report.
  • Liberal arts majors, especially in political science, international relations, public policy, communications, media studies, and public relations, show the highest rates of regret.
  • Some physical science majors also express doubts about their chosen fields.
  • Younger workers face challenges in the current job market, with a decline in entry-level job postings.
  • Many graduates receive lower salaries than anticipated, with public health and agriculture/environmental science majors experiencing significant discrepancies.
  • Nursing graduates have a high rate of securing jobs before graduation and command the highest median starting salary at $70,000.
  • The healthcare sector continues to drive employment growth, partly due to an aging U.S. population.