graduate major – A Misryoum analysis of Misryoum’s reported survey highlights which majors new grads regret—and how hiring trends and pay gaps shape regret.
A college major can feel like a personal decision about the future—until the job market tests it.
Misryoum’s review of a recent survey points to a pattern many new graduates recognize: about one in five recent grads say they regret their major.. The gap between what students expected from school and what early employment delivers is showing up in fields across the spectrum. but it is especially pronounced in areas tied to flexible or slower-moving hiring pipelines.
What new grads regret most
The strongest regret signals cluster in social science and communications-heavy tracks.. Political science. international relations. or public policy stands out as the top regret category. with 46.3% of graduates in that group expressing dissatisfaction.. Communications, media studies, or public relations follows closely, at 39.2%.
Liberal arts also appears to be a pressure point.. Misryoum’s reporting indicates that liberal arts majors were more likely to express wishes they had chosen a scientific or quantitative field—suggesting that students may view STEM as a hedge when they are trying to translate coursework into job-ready skills.
The job market and the pay gap behind second thoughts
Regret doesn’t only come from fit; it also comes from timing and market friction.. Misryoum’s coverage links growing regret to a tougher entry-level environment, where fewer new roles are available than students expect.. Entry-level positions made up 38.6% of postings as of March 1. down from 43.4% two years earlier—an environment that can stretch the job search and intensify pressure to “make the degree pay.”
Pay expectations are another driver.. Misryoum’s findings show that for some majors, earnings upon landing a job were materially below what graduates anticipated.. Public health or health administration graduates reported pay coming in 43.8% lower than expected.. English, literature, or journalism majors saw compensation about 30% below their expectations.
# Why the difference matters for future students
What looks like “career regret” is often a mismatch between education messaging and labor-market reality.. When young workers struggle to secure roles aligned with their major—or when wages arrive below expectations—it can quickly turn academic choice into a source of doubt.. Misryoum also notes that younger workers may be more sensitive to these early signals than older cohorts. because the degree-to-career transition is one of the first big financial and identity shifts people experience.
A key takeaway for prospective students is that major decisions work best when they are paired with evidence about outcomes: internship pathways. recruiting patterns. and the kinds of roles that repeatedly hire in that field.. Without that, even a meaningful major can feel like it led to a narrower set of opportunities.
Where nursing appears to offer stronger signals
For graduates who want clearer employment odds, Misryoum’s reporting highlights nursing as a standout.. Nearly one-third of nursing graduates secured a job before graduation, which can dramatically reduce the uncertainty that fuels regret.. This matters because early-career uncertainty doesn’t just affect income—it affects confidence. planning. and the ability to take advantage of new opportunities.
Misryoum also points to structural demand. Health care remains a major employment growth driver, with health care jobs accounting for 43% of total payroll gains in March. As populations age, demand for care tends to rise steadily, giving nursing a more dependable link between training and work.
Nursing graduates are also described as benefiting from higher starting pay. Misryoum’s findings say nursing majors landed the highest median salary upon graduation compared with other majors, at $70,000 a year.
The practical question for new grads: skills vs. labels
Misryoum’s data doesn’t suggest every major is “good” or “bad.” Instead. it suggests that regret rises when graduates cannot easily translate their studies into hiring demand—especially when job openings for entry-level candidates are shrinking.. The most practical lesson for students and career changers is to treat a major as a foundation. then build proof of employability through internships. projects. and targeted skill development.
In an economy where early-career roles are under pressure, the major label matters less than the roadmap behind it.. Graduates who align coursework with specific job functions—whether through health-care training. quantitative skills. or measurable work experience—are more likely to avoid the pay gap and opportunity gap that appear at the heart of regret.
For the next graduating class, the decision isn’t just “Which major?” It is “What can I become, how quickly, and in what job roles—and what does the market already reward?” Misryoum’s report makes that question harder to ignore.