10 Hardest College Majors [2024 Guide With Salaries]
By Joy Miller
Edited by Briana Sukert
Updated on September 19, 2024
You might wonder, why would anyone look for the hardest college majors? Well, the hardest college majors are often the ones with the biggest payoff for graduates!
Yes, these hardest college majors will present challenges. You may put in long hours in the lab analyzing data and compiling reports, take the toughest classes in math and the sciences, and just generally work hard for your degree, but graduates from these often earn top dollar.
If you’re up for the challenge, check out these hard majors with promising futures!
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We’ve compiled a list of the 10 hardest majors based on average GPA. You can read more about our methodology here.
By average Grade Point Average, the fields include:
Note that average GPAs vary somewhat depending on the university, program requirements, and the type of school (public university, private university, liberal arts school, trade school, etc.). Some schools have a reputation for being among the hardest colleges, depending on their academic requirements.
We are providing these averages so that you’ll have a reasonable idea of the difficulty of the fields.
According to the average Grade Point Average of students in the program, Chemistry wins the prize title hardest major.
A Chemistry major overlaps somewhat with biology, but chemistry extends beyond living things. Chemistry focuses on the composition of matter, including all structures, properties, and reactions. You will probably spend a lot of time in the lab testing and re-testing theories.
Chemistry graduates can choose from a number of career paths, including education, research, medicine, pharmaceuticals, nursing, and law. Some students further their education in the field by pursuing a graduate degree, where they can develop their writing and speaking skills for presenting their findings.
Chemistry Pros:
Chemistry Cons:
Chemistry Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Biochemist / Biophysicist | $94,270 |
| Chemist / Materials Scientist | $79,300 |
| Environmental Scientist / Specialist | $73,230 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Not surprisingly, mathematics takes second place for hardest college major.
A bachelor’s in math may seem a bit generic, but it’s actually quite flexible. Employers everywhere are seeking individuals who think independently, creatively and critically, and math students do exactly that. They also do well in statistics and algebra classes, of course.
With skills like these, you may work in patent law, software development, animation, financial analysis, economics, cybersecurity, market research, astronomy or any number of fields.
Mathematics Pros:
Mathematics Cons:
Mathematics Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Actuary | $111,030 |
| Mathematician / Statistician | $93,290 |
| Operations Research Analyst | $86,200 |
| Financial Analyst | $83,660 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Economics involves studying individual, household, and organizational behavior related to markets and finance. It’s about how people think and act, what makes them make the decisions they do, and so on. So why do people consider economics a difficult major?
In this area, you will take a lot of math and statistics classes and do plenty of critical thinking and synthesizing of data – so it can definitely be hard!
Many on-campus or online economics degree students land in business, technology, government, and finance. They often become well-known analysts, sharing their knowledge via interviews or their own writing.
Economics Pros:
Economics Cons:
Economics Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Actuary | $111,030 |
| Economist | $108,350 |
| Financial Analyst | $83,660 |
| Budget Analyst | $78,970 |
| Accountant / Auditor | $73,560 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Interested in all things alive? Go beyond basic frog dissection and learn about the evolution, growth, life cycles and other aspects of animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi.
You will likely do a lot of hands-on learning in the lab, making new discoveries and advancing our understanding of everything that’s living. You will also need to understand the terms and processes, which can mean a lot of memorization, making this one of the most difficult majors for many.
Biology Pros:
Biology Cons:
Biology Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Microbiologist | $84,400 |
| Environmental Scientist / Specialist | $73,230 |
| Zoologists / Wildlife Biologist | $66,350 |
| Biological Technician | $46,340 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Earth to students! Geologists explore the history of our planet and use their knowledge as they make predictions about future earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. They also use their knowledge for planning where and how to build highways or structures, or lay pipelines for natural gas or oil.
Their activity is calculated and complicated, which puts geology among the hardest college majors, but it provides great rewards!
Geology Pros:
Geology Cons:
Geology Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Mining / Geological Engineer | $93,800 |
| Geoscientist | $93,580 |
| Hydrologist | $84,040 |
| Environmental Scientist / Specialist | $73,230 |
| Geological / Hydrologic Technician | $50,630 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Do you like stretching your brain around some big questions? What’s the meaning of life? How do we attain truth? What is human consciousness? You will most likely spend your time reading the ideas of famous philosophers in your classes and developing theories of your own as you spend hours debating with classmates and colleagues.
Careers in philosophy are scarce, so many students pair the subject with a more marketable area of study or a minor. Consider software programming, mathematics, ethics, linguistics, physics, or life sciences. Many Philosophy majors build their careers through their writing.
This may not seem like one of the hardest college majors, but it requires retaining and understanding a lot of concepts.
Philosophy Pros:
Philosophy Cons:
Philosophy Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary | $76,160 |
| Writer or Author | $67,120 |
| Market Research Analyst | $65,810 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
You’ll need your left brain and right brain for this profession! Finance majors need skills in math, analyzing data, formulating strategies, and communicating well. Individuals with skills in all these areas are hard to come by!
Having to be this good with numbers and future thinking also puts this in the running for hardest college major.
Finance Pros:
Finance Cons:
Finance Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Personal Financial Advisors | $89,330 |
| Management Analysts | $87,660 |
| Financial Analysts | $83,660 |
| Financial Examiners | $81,430 |
| Logisticians | $76,270 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ready to join the ranks of Stephen Hawking and those guys from “Big Bang Theory?”
Studying physics covers everything from the universe and the largest galaxies to the smallest subatomic particles. Excelling in this area requires skills in math, different sciences, English, problem-solving, and teamwork.
The coursework is extremely demanding, but comes with a versatile degree, providing you job opportunities in scientific research, business, finance, technology, and engineering. Physics students must pay attention to their writing so they’re prepared to deliver professional-level findings.
Physics Pros:
Physics Cons:
Physics Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Physicist / Astronomer | $129,850 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $118,610 |
| Nuclear Engineer | $116,140 |
| Chemist / Materials Scientist | $79,300 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
If you’re a techie who loves digging deep and solving complex problems, this program is probably a good fit for you. You’ll need patience and persistence, and the ability (and desire) to learn entirely new programming languages as you solve problems and make processes more efficient.
Computer Science Pros:
Computer Science Cons:
Computer Science Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | $151,150 |
| Hardware Engineer | $119,560 |
| Network Architect | $116,780 |
| Software Developer | $110,140 |
| Information Security Analyst | $103,590 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Related Guide: 40 Best Online Computer Science Degrees
If you’re a STEM whiz, then an engineering program may be just the thing for you! You might not even consider this one of the hardest majors.
There are six branches you might consider – Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Management, and Geotechnical – and under these branches are hundreds of degrees you can choose from. But no matter which you choose, you will probably need to put in hard work.
You may take courses in Chemistry, Calculus, Statistics, Physics, and other subjects, and many smart students struggle for passing grades.
Engineering Pros:
Engineering Cons:
Engineering Major Jobs
| Job Title | Potential Salary |
| Petroleum Engineer | $137,330 |
| Computer Hardware Engineer | $119,560 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $118,610 |
| Nuclear Engineer | $116,140 |
| Chemical Engineer | $108,540 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Engineering is one of the hardest college majors because it covers a broad range of challenging subjects, including mathematics, the sciences, and technology.
There are six main branches of engineering: Mechanical, Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Management, and Geotechnical. Under these branches are hundreds of subcategories.
Here are some of the many major degrees available:
Some of these degrees are highly specialized, of course, and may only have classes at the graduate level, or only at certain schools in certain regions.
Consider the path you’re interested in and which program would help get you there most successfully.
These hardest college majors prepare you for some of the highest-paying, most in-demand jobs.
Check out these options:
| Major | Job Title | Median Salary |
| Computer Science | Computer and Information Systems Manager | $151,150 |
| Engineering | Petroleum Engineer | $137,330 |
| Physics | Physicist / Astronomer | $129,850 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Excelling in these fields will take a lot of hours of hard work, but the potential payoff? Huge!
How hard a subject may be is quite subjective.
That being said, there are a few factors that could make one major seem harder than another, such as:
Because of the rigorous courses in mathematics and the sciences, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) majors are generally considered hard.
To compile our list of major and degree programs, we looked at the subjects with the lowest average GPAs. In a recent whitepaper, Cornell University found that “sci” majors generally have lower GPAs, with Chemistry winning the prize for the lowest average GPA. This means it tops the list for hardest college majors.
The difficulty of a program will vary by university.
How hard a major seems will also vary by university. Different schools have different professors, different grading policies, different course material, and even different courses required for a particular degree.
A recent study found that where you attend university will impact your overall Grade Point Average, but not by much. Students at public universities have an average GPA of 3.1 while those attending private universities have a 3.3.
All degree plans are not created equal.
A Bachelor’s in Software Programming at Duke University will have different requirements than one earned at the University of Illinois.
One example of this is in the Calculus requirement:
That’s a difference of 3 hours per week for a semester, which doesn’t sound like much but could add a lot more hours of frustration trying to master the subject.
Depending on the school, a requirement might be completing four semesters of Calculus (a tough subject!). Is the school requiring more Calculus credits harder? Maybe. Maybe not.
We’ve compiled our list based on averages with the aim of giving you a general idea of which fields are the hardest college major options for most students.
The following table shows the average Grade Point Average by subject area.
| Major | Average GPA |
| Chemistry | 2.78 |
| Mathematics | 2.90 |
| Economics | 2.95 |
| Biology | 3.02 |
| Geology | 3.03 |
| Philosophy | 3.08 |
| Finance | 3.08 |
| Physics | 3.10 |
| Computer Science | 3.13 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 3.17 |
Source: Cornell University
The best colleges in the United States and the lowest ranked could yield different GPAs, but these are the averages. Remember, the most difficult college majors for you will mostly stem from your lack of interest and natural talent for a subject.
For those of you who aren’t interested in taking a particularly difficult major and are curious about the quick and easy university majors that pay well, here’s the list:
In this article, we explore easy majors in-depth. And for those of you who are interested in choosing the best major for getting your bachelor’s quickly, read this page.
Obviously, these hardest majors aren’t for everyone. But that’s a good thing, right? We give props to all you engineers, biologists, and computer scientists. But let’s not forget the linguists, social workers, and historians. Everyone’s got a place at the table at the best colleges!
For those of you who are still exploring different fields of interest, you might also find this article discussing easy bachelor degrees helpful.
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