15 Easiest High Paying College Degrees for Future Success
Easiest High Paying College Degrees
Key Takeaways
- Some of the easiest college degrees that pay close to or slightly above six figures include Social Work, Criminal Justice, Communications, Social Sciences, and Humanities.
- “Easy” is a very subjective term; whether a college major is particularly easy or not will depend on your interest, experience, and aptitude.
- The level of difficulty of a degree can be measured in part by how well students in that specific major are doing.
Want a job that pays well and an easy way of getting one? College education - whether in traditional or online degree programs - can play a crucial role towards landing a job that pays well. Although there is no easy college major, there are some majors are easier than others. Bachelor’s degrees can lead to lucrative careers, especially with the right major.
Choosing a college major is a crucial decision in a student’s life. While a high school diploma can land you a job, college degrees, such as an associate’s degree or bachelor’s program, can lead to higher paying careers. But what makes a college major “easy”? If all majors were easy (and affordable), many more people would be earning their diplomas.
Here are factors that make a college degree program relatively easy:
- Easy majors typically require general knowledge, like marketing or business. If you know and understand some basics, you’ll have an easier time in this degree.
- Many easy majors rely on creativity—including art and creative writing.
- Easy majors do not need extensive requirement credits or rigorous coursework.
- Easy majors do not require years of intensive training or a number of internships.
Back to Top
Choosing an Easy Major
When contemplating the college major you plan to pursue, think about your weaknesses and your strengths. If you are passionate about science, you will most likely enjoy a chemistry major more than a major in English literature. Ask yourself a few key questions: What topics do you enjoy? What learning style do you believe best suits you? Which lessons in high school did you easily pass without studying?
There are times when the topic you love and the topic you find effortless are not the same. Thus, you have to contemplate whether you can deal with a challenging major with a genuinely interesting topic or sit through an easy but potentially boring college major. After you have shortlisted the easy majors that you believe you can handle, the next thing is to look at the possible careers every major affords you. Consider the following:
- Is it easy to land high paying jobs in your chosen major?
- How much do the most common entry jobs pay against your dream career that may require years of experience?
- Can you possibly switch positions if you should you change your mind?
- What are the other costs that come with the job (i.e. travel costs, time requirements, and living costs)?
While the major you choose will largely depend on your abilities and interests, it is also important to pay close attention to the earning potential when you choose your academic pathway. Money does not have to be, and probably shouldn’t be, the primary deciding factor when identifying which career path you will go down. However, crunching the numbers and understanding how profitable a certain bachelor’s degree is can significantly help you in making your decision.
Bottom Line: The easiest college majors will vary based on your particular interests and talents. Some of the easiest degrees also greatly increase your earning potential.
How Do These Degrees Align With Market Demands?
When career planning, people should look at the careers that are currently trending and what future trend lines are predicted to be. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the degrees listed in this ranking are relevant to fields with the number of positions growing by as much as 28%. Additionally, almost all of the degrees listed lead to fields with a faster than average job growth rate compared to all other occupations.
Many of the degrees in this ranking are also part of fields that will always need workers, such education, healthcare, and business. The upward trajectory of these fields have been stable for some time and are predicted to continue to grow. Overall, these fields are secure, a huge benefit on top of paying well.
Back to Top15 Easiest High Paying College Degrees
- 1
Supply Chain Management
Efficient supply chains play a critical role in the global economy. A bachelor’s degree in supply chain management is where you will learn how to manage the flow of goods, finances, or data related to a service or product, from obtaining raw materials to product delivery to its final destination.
Supply Chain Management is often equated with logistics. However, logistics is just one of the many components of the supply chain. Other components of SCM include product lifecycle management, procurement, supply chain planning (inventory planning and maintenance of production lines and enterprise assets), and order management.
While the concepts appear complex, supply chain management majors are not that difficult. Most of the classes are on the easy to medium level. Students will cover topics including organizational and marketing behavior economics, along with other general education classes.
US Labor Statistics data reveal that the median annual wage of logisticians is $77,520 per year ($37.27 per hour). Employment in the field is projected to grow 18% between 2022 and 2032, that’s roughly 21,000 openings each year.
Supply Chain Management career pathways include:
- Operations Managers: These managers plan, coordinate, or direct the operations of private and public sector organizations. Their mean annual wage is $122,860.
- Logisticians: These people oversee the lifecycle of products. They are usually seen working in manufacturing companies, allocating raw materials, collaborating with suppliers, and arranging deliveries. They have a median pay of $77,520 per year.
- Supply Chain Analysts: They help organizations boost their overall performance by creating new supply chain methods. They work with quality assurance specialists, engineers, or information technologists in analyzing supply chain data and developing solutions.
- 2
Criminal Justice
A Criminal Justice major focuses on the various aspects of the criminal justice system. The coursework in this relatively easy college major covers topics like corrections, the court justice system, law enforcement, and criminal behavior and motivation.
This bachelor’s degree is related majors such as:
- Corrections
- Criminology
- Law Enforcement
- Forensic Science
- Paralegal Studies
Just like most fields, many people initially think criminal justice majors are hard. They believe it is technical, overly complex, and difficult. However, as with any college degree, criminal justice may tend to be difficult for students who are not particularly interested in the field or lack the foundational skills required to become successful.
Majoring in Criminal Justice means you have better job security than most and a considerable earning potential. As long as crimes continue to be committed, the need for trained people to prosecute and fight against these crimes will always be in demand. Thus, job security is common in criminal justice. Some roles within the field also have very high earning potential.
If you plan to work as a detective or a police officer, you can have a median pay of $69,160 each year. And while this field has a slower-than-average job growth, there will still be a 3% increase between 2022 and 2032.
- 3
Marketing
A Bachelor’s in Marketing will prepare you for careers in marketing, brand management, and public relations. Marketers are the channel between consumers and all other aspects of a business (product development, sales, advertising, etc.). Professionals in the field share the value of a product with the consumers while also helping business organizations understand the needs and wants of consumers.
Marketing is typically not a difficult major. However, it is also not the easiest one. If you’re planning to enroll in a marketing program, expect to do a considerable amount of data gathering and analysis. To give you an idea of whether marketing is easy (or difficult) for you, here are some of the courses that you will encounter in the program:
- Corporations and Financing
- Business to Business Marketing
- Global Marketing Techniques
- Marketing Research
- Logistical Strategies
- Retail and Sales Management
- Product Management
The good news about earning a Marketing major is that you don’t necessarily have to be a math whiz to become successful in the program. In fact, you only need basic math, including college algebra, general mathematics, and basic calculus.
According to the US Labor Statistics Bureau, the median annual pay of marketing, advertising, or promotions managers is $138,730. There is also a 6% job growth in the field from 2022-2032.
- 4
Psychology
A degree in Psychology revolves around the study of human behavior, social interactions, mental processes, and the brain. This is an umbrella major that covers other areas in the field like cognitive, abnormal, social, developmental, and personality.
This skill-based major is designed to prepare students for graduate-level programs in law, education, business, or medicine. Since this major is widely customizable, this can be used in a variety of careers.
Psychology is generally considered an easy college major because it no longer requires technical skills or knowledge. Most colleges and universities do not make these college programs extremely difficult. Why? Because the sole purpose of the Psychology undergraduate study is not to reach mastery of the field. It is designed to equip students with transferable skills and provide them with general education for various careers. At the bachelor’s level, psychology is one of the relatively easier majors, comparable to the social sciences or business.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that psychologists take home a median pay of $85,330 per year. The field also has a job growth of 6% from 2022-2032, equating to 12,800 job openings each year.
- 5
Anthropology
A bachelor’s degree in Anthropology teaches students about what makes us human. This field builds upon knowledge from the biological and social sciences, along with physical sciences and humanities, to fully understand the complexity of cultures across human history.
In its simplest definition, Anthropology is the study of human beings and their ancestors through space and time in relation to social and environmental relations, physical character, and culture.
For degree-seeking students, Anthropology is one major that is not known for being difficult, especially for those who are passionate about studying the different aspects of humanity. In fact, this degree is ranked number 60 out of 124 college majors by Big Economics in terms of difficulty. Students in this major usually spend 15 hours studying every week.
While Anthropology as a whole is generally easy, some schools contain classes that might be more challenging. These include:
- World Ethnography
- Seminar on the Unity of Anthropology
- World Archaeology
- Human Origins and Evolution
- Language and Culture
- Cultural Anthropology
- Introduction to Archaeology
What makes this major more interesting is that it pairs well with different minors, giving your degree more diversity and potentially helping you find more career opportunities. Some of the most common careers in anthropology, all that have at least a 4% job growth rate, include:
- Anthropologists: Median Annual Salary: $63,940
- Museum Technicians: Median Annual Salary: $53,420
- High School Anthropology Teacher: Median Annual Salary: $80,840
- Social or Human Service Assistants: Median Annual Salary: $38,520
- 6
Business Administration
Students in Business Administration majors will study a range of topics related to work in a corporate setting. This field of study usually includes coursework in analytics, management, finance, accounting, marketing, operations, and human resources. Since business administration is a flexible major, students can easily choose a specialization as they go along.
Business Administration is one of the easiest bachelor’s degree majors, although this will largely depend on the student’s interest and knowledge. The main purpose of this major is to provide solid foundational knowledge to students and help them gain professional skills for the wide field of business.
Some of the career paths for Business Administration majors include:
- Procurement Officers
- Office Administrators
- Human Resources Managers
- Sports Operations Managers
- Advertising and Marketing Roles (Advertising Executives, Market Research Analysts)
- Municipal Managers
- Franchising Managers
- Business Developers/ Business Consultants
The BLS states that business and financial professionals, like human resources specialists, have an average median annual salary of $64,240 and a 6% job growth rate from 2022 to 2032.
- 7
Communications
A Communications major is the perfect gateway to numerous careers across various industries. Through this college major, you will obtain the skills and knowledge to write corporate messages for products or businesses, create media content, and promote a positive public image.
Communications degrees are focused on wholly different things than most majors. In this field, there is less retention of facts required. Instead, this major is more about using your written, audiovisual, and verbal communication skills. Because a communication major is a vast field, completing this degree will allow you to secure careers in different areas, including:
- Public Relations
- Marketing
- Content Marketing
- SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- Branding
- Social Media Marketing
- Marketing Consulting
- PPC (digital ads)
- Graphic and Web Design
- Television production
- Copywriting
- Video editing
- Technical Writing
- Print and Multimedia Journalism
- Audio Editing
- Podcast production
- Event production
- Film Editing and Production
- Advertising
Since the jobs you can get with your communication degree are very broad, the salary range of communication major professionals is wide as well. On average, the median annual salary of Communications majors is $57,000. They also have a job outlook of 6% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for other occupations, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 8
English
With a bachelor’s degree in English, you can work in different fields like PR, journalism, or fundraising and entertainment, and study critical theory, creative writing, and literary history, among others. This humanities degree option comes with many opportunities for learners to explore the various styles of expression.
For those who love reading or are passionate about literature, an English major is an easy option for college. In this field, you will study writing, rhetoric, and literary criticism. This major is considered one of the easiest majors in college, where one can hone their analytical, communication, and research skills. After completing this degree, you can work, among other careers, as a public relations specialist, a teacher, or a writer.
English majors can also go into fields such as education, business, social services, the nonprofit sector, or public relations.
The median annual wage of English majors, according to the BLS, is $56,000.
- 9
Religious Studies
A bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies will examine the traditions of religions and their rich histories. The interpretative and analytical skills you gain from this college major can be used in careers in religious settings, in the community, or schools. During this course of study, you will learn about how religion impacts society, the comparative religious traditions, and the history of religions. Through this degree, you will boost your skills in communication, writing, and research while also gaining solid critical thinking skills.
Religious Studies is considered one of the easier A-level majors, with a passing rate of 99%. It’s no wonder this major is very popular among college students, primarily because of the wide range of transferable skills they can gain from it, thanks to the program’s essay-based assessment format.
Because assessments are generally opinion-based, as long as you can write and convey messages concisely and clearly and you know how to balance an argument, religious studies could be one of the relatively easier major for you.
The median annual wage of philosophy and religious studies professionals is $60,000.
- 10
Early Childhood Education
An Early Childhood Education bachelor’s degree is an easy but exciting major that includes classes where you will learn and understand the ins and out of child development, family issues, working with special needs children, and educational strategies. This college major allows you to have a deeper understanding of the basics of childhood learning and development.
Back in 2019, almost 84,000 college graduates across the US were education majors. This clearly shows how in-demand and lucrative becoming an educator really is. Graduates who majored in education have pursued careers in the academic field. For those who opted to specialize in early childhood education, they became preschool and kindergarten teachers.
Official data indicate that preschool teachers have a median salary of $35,330 per year, with a 3% job outlook between 2022 and 2032.
- 11
Healthcare Administration
Healthcare Administration is a very broad field of study with many rewarding career paths to pursue. In this major, students will learn how to manage and navigate through the regular operations of medical facilities and how to handle other non-health-related administrative tasks.
This major, with an annual median pay of $104,830 and a 28% job outlook, prepares students for the many leadership roles in healthcare organizations. While pursuing this major, students might specialize in areas such as operations, education, or health policy. Each of these concentrations will prepare them for different career paths in health administration. Once the program is completed, professionals are qualified to work in various settings, including clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, or doctors’ offices.
Healthcare Administration degrees do not require a complicated set of abilities and skills. As long as one has excellent attention to detail, this college major is the gateway toward lifelong career opportunities.
For many people, Healthcare Administration majors can be much easier than others. But just like any other college major, expect to run into complex elements of healthcare administration. The level of difficulty you will go through in healthcare administration majors is largely based on the electives you choose and how much you enjoy the major.
- 12
History
A person who earns a History major is prepared to teach students how to examine the past, preparing them to become better-informed people who understand the complexities of society. As a History major, you will focus more on the assessment and analysis of history. With classes that cover topics that span time and space, you will become appreciative of the field’s incredibly vast scope.
A bachelor’s degree in History is one of the easiest majors, especially if you are passionate about learning more about the past. Through this major, you will strengthen your research, writing, and analytical skills. You will learn more about world history, US history, and ancient history. Once you complete the degree, you can work in business, media, education, and even marketing.
Some popular careers of History majors include:
- Archivists, Museum Workers, and Curators
- Writers and Authors
- High school Teachers
- PR Specialists
- Labor Relations Specialists
The median annual wage of History majors is $63,000, according to official data.
- 13
Fine Arts
A degree in Fine Arts gives you plenty of room to choose a specialty area and major. The most common ones include theater, writing, visual arts, photography, and music. If you plan on becoming a professional in the arts, a fine arts major is the perfect fit for you. The BFA undergraduate degree will teach you about the history, methodology, skills, and industries associated with your chosen artistic field.
Most students look at Fine Arts as a very challenging major choice. While this is generally true, fine arts, being a highly skill-based job, is not for everybody. However, if you have talent, passion, and are enthusiastic to learn about art and its socio-historical events, this major can be a breeze.
A bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts is categorized into five:
- Visual Arts
- Theater and Dance
- Music
- Creative Writing
- Film and Photography
Most Fine Arts programs use a structure in which students dedicate one-third of their schooling to studying traditional college courses like science, mathematics, and history and the remaining two-thirds to students’ art courses. There are also Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees that provide a broad education in most arts disciplines. However, most degrees require a specialized area, like theater, computer animation, painting, music, television productions, and acting, among others.
Fine Arts degrees offer a well-rounded education and help students develop their critical thinking and technical skills. This is a perfect option for those who are looking for a broader academic background. Additionally, since fine arts is a vast field, this means that you could have plenty of job opportunities available to you after completing your program.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the median annual wage of craft and fine artists is $53,140, with a 4% job growth between 2022 and 2023.
- 14
Human Resources
Students majoring in Human Resources will learn all the best practices for recruiting, supporting, and maintaining workforces. They develop the skills necessary to hire, recruit, and maintain a solid workforce for their employers.
As a Human Resources major, you need to be a quick problem-solver and have a flair for matching the right skills with the best opportunities to nurture positive outcomes. You must also be comfortable working through delicate and challenging situations using communication and interpersonal skills.
Human Resources is generally an easy major, especially when compared to more science or math-intensive fields. However, this college major will still force you to polish your problem-solving skills. How you develop strategies in dealing with people will also be put to the test.
Human Resources jobs pay very well too. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says human resources specialists have a median pay of $64,240 per year. The field also has a 6% growth from 2022 to 2023.
- 15
Social Work
Majoring in Social Work is about studying social welfare systems with the hope of helping people improve their lives. Social Work students will better understand challenges people face, such as addiction, homelessness, family violence, and more. Social Workers are then prepared to provide these people in need with counseling and other resources.
A Bachelor’s in Social Work will prepare students for entry-level positions in different settings, including local and state governments, healthcare facilities, correctional facilities, and military bases.
Careers in Social Work may be mentally, physically, or emotionally challenging. This major is fairly easy as long as you are interested in the field. This major is time-consuming and requires a considerable amount of paper writing, which can be a challenge for others. However, unlike programs that are heavily based on high-level mathematics, laboratory science, or complex abstract theories, the social work curriculum should be easier to master. Social work programs are more focused on practical aspects and on learning to provide services to clients.
The BLS says social workers have a median pay of $55,350 per year, with a 7% job outlook from 2022-2032.
If you want a degree that will greatly increase your earning potential, you might also be interested in our ranking of the highest paying trade jobs, highest paying bachelor’s degrees, or the highest paying MBA concentrations and jobs.
Student Submitted Questions on the Easiest High Paying College Degrees
Dana asks, “What constitutes an ‘easy’ degree?”
Dr. Jed Macosko’s answer: The factors that constitute an “easy” college degree are subjective. Some students find a major easy because they are interested in the subject or they possess a natural aptitude for a particular major. However, there are certain technical elements that are objectively difficult. Being mindful of these can help students evaluate if a college major is easy or not.
Another element to look for is students’ average GPA in your chosen program. Essentially, the higher the GPA, the easier a college major is said to be. For instance, the average GPA for humanities majors like history, arts, religions, or foreign languages is higher than 3.0. On the other hand, the GPA for STEM majors, such as math, chemistry, computer science, or psychology, is below 3.0.
Ezra asks, “Is getting an ‘easy’ degree worth it?”
Dr. James Barham’s answer: Getting a degree, in general, is worth it if you know what you want to do. Many job postings have started requiring applicants to hold a bachelor’s degree (or even higher). Even if you have the skills and experience in a specific field, those who hold a bachelor’s degree are more likely to land a lucrative career than those who don’t.
As for the “easy” degree being worth it, envision your future career. If the major lines up with what you want to do, then getting the degree will help you gain skills that you can use to succeed. Coupled with life experiences, the degree you earn can make a great impact on your professional journey.
Matt asks, “How can students identify a high-paying college degree?”
Dr. Jed Macosko’s answer: The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a great resource for students as they make their decision on what to study. My suggestion is to pinpoint jobs or careers your might like to pursue and then look this career up using the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. You should be able to see the typical degrees that students pursue before starting to work in their chosen field and what they can expect to make.