Across its 19 schools and colleges, the University of Michigan offers more than 280 degree programs, with fields ranging from archeology of the Ancient Mediterranean to musical theory. Students from around the world come to Ann Arbor to explore the University’s extensive academic programs. However, despite an overwhelming number of potential paths, about one-fourth of undergraduates in 2023 (roughly 8,000 students) are concentrated in just five majors: computer science, business administration, economics, mechanical engineering and information.
These majors don’t just offer lucrative career paths — they’re also highly ranked. The University is ranked 10th for computer science, fourth for business and fifth for undergraduate engineering overall by the U.S. News & World Report. With top-quality instruction in these degree fields and nationwide trends of increasing popularity in business and technology fields, it’s no surprise that these five majors are among the fastest growing at the University since 2000.
Since 2001, majors such as computer science and economics have steadily grown in popularity, reflecting shifts in job market demands. Meanwhile, smaller, less traditionally highlighted fields like drama also saw large percentage increases. However, because these majors had low initial enrollment, even modest gains can appear disproportionately large in percentage. In contrast, long-established humanities disciplines like English, French and communication and media have experienced sharper declines, highlighting a broader shift in society toward STEM fields.
These nationwide trends are reflected in the University. Other than plant biology and pediatric dentistry, the majority of the University’s 10 least popular majors are in the humanities field. This seems to follow international trends of declining humanities popularity. In the U.S., humanities majors have dropped by 25% since 2012. Furthermore, throughout the last decade, Forbes reported an almost quarter decline in English graduates, a 15% decline in religious and philosophical studies graduates and a 5% decline in foreign language graduates — aligning with University trends.
Many attribute the falling number of graduates in humanities to the rising popularity of STEM majors. For example, in the last decade, enrollment in biology and biomedical science increased by almost half, computer science enrollment increased by 245% and both mathematics and engineering majors saw an increase of 70% in graduates in the last decade. USA Today reports that the five highest paying majors are in STEM. With more high-paying technical jobs becoming available, more students are deciding to major in STEM fields, leaving a void in the humanities.
In particular, computer science is among the fastest growing fields in the country. The surplus of students wanting a degree in computer science has led the University to implement an application-based process for major enrollment. This increase may have contributed to a rise in computer science-adjacent fields as well— such as electrical engineering, which provides an alternative path to the tech field.
While students in larger majors can find more course offerings, like-minded students and specialized career services, overflowing enrollment can strain course sizes. ECON 101 and 102, two prerequisites for the economics major, often have lecture sizes of 500 students. The same goes for EECS 183, the computer science major prerequisite. This makes it challenging for students to receive individualized instruction, and many struggle in these so-called “weeder” classes.
For less popular majors, courses tend to be smaller and are less likely to be classified as “weeder” courses. LATIN 301, one of the required classes for the Latin major, has an enrollment cap of 19, having as few as three students in the past.
Consistent increases in STEM enrollment are the main reason for large class sizes. Since 2001, enrollment in U-M computer science has increased fivefold — from a total of 200 undergrads to over 1,000. A rise in STEM-focused middle and high school programs, as well the high earning potential for fields like quantitative trading and software engineering, have heightened the appeal for these degrees.
Over the years, U-M major trends have noticeably shifted towards STEM, reflecting the nation’s broader trends in STEM’s rising popularity. As interest in STEM majors has increased, the University has seen rapidly growing class sizes — especially in fields like computer science. For many students, these trends indicate a future emphasizing technical focus and analytical skills, as STEM shapes their career paths.
Data Journalists Elle Chen, Jordyn Ives and Emma Peng can be reached at ellechen@umich.edu, jordyni@umich.edu and emmapeng@umich.edu.
