While no college major can truly be considered “easy,” some programs are generally considered to be less academically intensive when compared to others, particularly STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) or highly technical degrees. If you’re looking for a path that balances manageable coursework with high earning potential, you’re in luck! Here are nine college majors that are often described as more accessible while still leading to high-paying careers.
1. Marketing
Who This Is For: Marketing is ideal for creative thinkers who love connecting brands with people. If you enjoy crafting compelling messages and strategizing how to capture consumer attention, this major is perfect for you! Marketing involves both creative and analytical tasks, such as designing campaigns and analyzing consumer behavior trends.
What the Work Is Like: You’ll likely work in a fast-paced environment, often collaborating with teams on advertising campaigns, social media strategy, or market research. Many marketing professionals work in dynamic industries like fashion, technology, or entertainment.
Salary: Entry-level positions in marketing, such as coordinators or assistants, often start around $50,000 per year. After a few years of experience, marketing managers can earn an average salary of $122,000.
2. Economics
Who This Is For: Economics is suited to people who are curious about how resources are allocated and enjoy uncovering big-picture trends in markets and societies. If you’re a problem-solver comfortable with data and analysis, this could be the major for you!
What the Work Is Like: Economists analyze data, trends, and policies to understand market dynamics. You might work for the government, a consulting firm, or a financial institution — providing insights into economic behavior or financial risk.
Salary: Entry-level positions, such as economic analysists, can expect to make up to $65,000 per year. With experience, you could see earnings of $80,000 per year.
3. Health Services Administration
Who This Is For: Health services administration is perfect for those who want to be in the healthcare industry but prefer management and operations over clinical work. It suits people who want to improve healthcare delivery by making strategic decisions.
What the Work Is Like: As a health services administrator, you’ll manage hospitals, clinics, or long-term care facilities. The role typically involves overseeing budgets, coordinating departments, and ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations.
Salary: Entry-level positions in health services administration can start around $60,000 per year, with experienced professionals earning salaries of $80,000 with a couple years’ experience.
4. Supply Chain Management
Who This Is For: This major is for detail-oriented individuals who enjoy logistics, organization, and optimization. If you like the idea of puzzling together ways to make operations more streamlined, supply chain management might be a good fit.
What the Work Is Like: Supply chain managers coordinate the flow of goods from production to delivery. You’ll work with suppliers, manage inventories, and solve logistical problems to ensure products reach their destination on time.
Salary: Entry-level positions in supply chain management typically start at around $60,000, with supply chain managers earning an average of $125,000 per year with experience.
5. Real Estate
Who This Is For: Real estate is great for entrepreneurial-minded people who enjoy the fast-paced, constantly shifting world of property markets. If you have a sharp eye for trends and find yourself to be personable and able to speak with a variety of people, you will shine in this career field.
What the Work Is Like: Real estate professionals work in brokerage, property management, or development. The work can vary from negotiating property deals to managing real estate portfolios for large clients.
Salary: In modest markets, entry-level real estate agents can find themselves making $50,000 per year to start with, but successful professionals, especially within hot markets, can earn six-figure salaries within a few years. Keep in mind that salaries often fluctuate as this is typically a commissions-based job.
6. Business Administration
Who This Is For: Business administration is for those who enjoy managing people, projects, or finances. Ask yourself — do you like organization, problem-solving, and taking up leadership roles?
What the Work Is Like: Whether working in corporate management, finance, or operations, you'll oversee teams, set strategic goals, and ensure that business processes run smoothly. The work can vary significantly depending on the industry.
Salary: Entry-level positions in business administration can earn around $60,000, with business managers or consultants seeing earnings up to $120,000 annually as they gain experience.
7. Communications
Who This is For: If you enjoy writing, speaking and interacting with the public, consider a degree in communications! If perfect for those who see themselves working in media, public relations, or corporate communications.
What the Work Is Like: You may find yourself creating content for media outlets, drafting press releases, or managing the flow of information within a company. Public speaking, writing for various audiences, and crafting media strategies are common duties seen in the communications field.
Salary: Entry-level positions in communications, such as public relations assistants, can earn around $50,000 with experienced professionals earning over $90,000.
8. International Relations
Who This Is For: Are you fascinated with global affairs, diplomacy, and politics? A major in international relations will stand out to those who feel compelled to do their part in international conflict resolution.
What the Work Is Like: Graduates from these programs often work in diplomacy, governments relations, non-profit organizations, or multinational corporations. You can expect to be involved in negotiating agreements, or providing guidance on international trade or human rights issues.
Salary: Entry-level positions in international relations, such as research assistants, can start at around $50,000, while political scientists can earn an average of $128,000 with experience.
9. Human Resources Management
Who This Is For: Are you people-oriented, and do you enjoy solving workplace challenges? People interested in employee engagement, company culture, and talent development often find a career in human resources to be fulfilling.
What the Work Is Like: Human resources (HR) professionals oversee recruitment, manage employee relations, and implement company policies. The work involves a lot of interpersonal interaction and strategic planning to ensure that the organization’s workforce is happy and healthy.
Salary: Entry-level positions, such as HR coordinator, typically start at around $50,000 per year. With a few years of experience, HR managers can expect average salaries of $136,000.
In all, these majors have the potential to get you into lucrative career fields without the need to worry about the academic load that often accompanies highly technical fields like engineering or mathematics. If you’re looking for a balance between work and reward, check out the catalogs of your top schools to see if they offer any of these programs.
Interested in checking out more college majors? Using our College Majors List, you can search hundreds of programs by area of interest!
