Institutional Research and Strategic Analytics

Oct 2022 - Empowering Students and Universities to Make Informed Major Selection Choices

Upon selecting a college major, some students may lack access to resources that show relevant job opportunities for their particular majors or areas of study. Additionally, research finds that students across majors are likely to overestimate salaries, but underestimate the probability of being employed.

In this month’s  By the Numbers report, we ask:

  • What majors are most utilized at Chico State?
  • How do academic majors align with the job market in California?

To investigate, we use institutional data on student enrollment in various majors at Chico State as of Fall 2021. Chico State majors are categorized into Classifications of Instructional Programs (CIP) as defined by the US Department of Education and matched to corresponding occupations. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is used to evaluate: 1) prevalence of occupations in California as of 2021, 2) median annual wage for occupations in California as of 2021, and 3) projected number of job openings for occupations in California by 2030.

Chico State By the Numbers 

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The most frequently chosen majors at Chico State as of Fall 2021 include psychology, management, nursing, marketing, criminal justice, liberal studies, computer science, sociology, and construction engineering.

Overall, these majors align well with the predictions for the California job market in 2030.

General management, market research, nursing, financial management, and information systems management positions are all projected to grow by at least 20,000 new jobs in California by 2030.

Other professions likely to experience growth include specialized positions needed across companies, such as accounting, information technology, medical and health services management, and human resources.

Read a short report (PDF)  from the Office of Institutional Research that further explores these trends, along with additional information regarding prevalence, salary, and projected growth of jobs in California.

Further Reading

The Effect of Labor Market Information on Community College Students’ Major Choice (Economics of Education Review, 2018)

 Labor Market Returns to College Major Specificity (European Economic Review, 2020)