Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Background: A student’s choice of major field of study in college and changes in this decision may have a significant impact on the probability of graduation, time of degree completion, and, ultimately, the cost of college. At many universities, more than 50% of students change majors at least once and a large fraction of these change multiple times. Despite the high prevalence of major switching, this phenomenon has seen little systematic examination. Efforts to examine the causal effects of major switching on academic outcomes are confounded by largely unquantifiable personal taste and preferences.

Objective: To identify the factors that are important in a student’s choice of major field of study and explore how the relative importance of those factors changes over the course of a student’s studies.

Data: We use primary qualitative data collected from students and academic advisors at a Midwestern public university.

Methods: A case study methodology was employed where different aspects of major field of study choices were studied at one Midwestern public university. This was done by conducting two rounds of semi structured interviews collected longitudinally from 49 undecided first-year undergraduate students We also conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 academic advisors that work with both initial major deciders and major switchers. Focus groups were also conducted - two focus groups with students that recently changed their major and two with students that are approaching graduation that can reflect back on how their choice of major affected their college careers and potential labor market outcomes.

Results: For all groups studied, a strong majority of subjects thought that it was better to wait until spending some time in college before making an initial major choice. There was also broad agreement that it was acceptable to change your major, but there was a certain point after which major switches become detrimental to outcomes (such as graduation probability, time to degree, or the amount of excess credits taken). Many undecided freshmen did not even begin to consider a major field of study prior to arriving on campus. Undecided freshmen were not well informed regarding the average salaries associated with different major choices, both in absolute scale and relative ranking among majors, despite reporting that pay was an important factor. A majority of major switches are reported to be caused by poor academic performance in major-specific classes. Academic advisors report that there are broad differences in the costs (in terms of additional time to degree) of major switches depending on the major switched to or from.

Discussion: Despite the importance of the decision, many students appear to make major decisions with little or imperfect information. An exploratory approach in the first year could be ideal, but external and internal pressures exist to make a choice prior to matriculation. As students learn more information and learn about themselves, they are constantly re-evaluating their major choices. This research will be of use to universities and policy makers looking to help students make better major choices by identifying knowledge gaps and opportunities for intervention.