It’s not easy for students to decide what degree subject to choose these days. Aside from the fact that there are simply so many to choose from, the world is also changing faster than ever before. As the world economy is transformed by everything from new technology to rising populations, it can be hard to predict what the job market of the future will look like.
In going for a degree, ensure it’s something that cannot very easily be taken away tomorrow, say through the evolution of robots. Get a degree that would serve an important role through your life so you don’t see yourself by the sidewalk, few years after you have gotten your degree.
What is a Degree?
A degree is an academic award awarded upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years by an institution, be it a college or a university.
In some institutions and educational systems, certain degrees can only be taken as graduate or postgraduate educations after a first degree has been completed, although more commonly the successful completion of a bachelor’s degree is a prerequisite for further courses such as a master’s or a doctorate.
The most common undergraduate degree is the bachelor’s degree, although in some countries there are lower-level higher education qualifications that are also titled degrees and higher-level- undergraduate master’s degrees.
Why get a degree for the future?
If you’re still considering whether you should get a degree for the future, you will be missing out on a lot. Some of the best
1. Increased Access to Job Opportunities
The world is evolving very fast and employers are looking for ways to constantly up their game. Degrees that are rare but useful in future are in high demand. In getting a degree for the future, you can be sure of access to job opportunities.
You would barely ever be out of a job because your knowledge would constantly be in demand. The future degree enables you to qualify for these additional opportunities and offers you more flexibility in where you choose to work.
2. Opportunity for Increased networking
When you have a degree for the future, you increase your chances of meeting new people every day. You would have the opportunity to constantly connect to a lifelong network of colleagues, advisors, professors, and mentors. Throughout your career, this network can open doors and connect you to industry leaders with whom you can share ideas and explore new ventures.
3. Preparation for a Specialized Career
As the world changes, the job market changes with it. Technology, education, and health are three of the most rapidly growing fields for a good reason; they develop so often that only the most accomplished individuals can do the work. Getting a degree for the future in these fields will help you learn the specific skills and habits needed to make a living in these areas.
4. Increased Marketability
In a world where everyone is looking to stand out, getting a degree for the future is one of the best ways to ensure you do just that. Over 80 per cent of jobs in four of the fastest-growing occupations-healthcare, STEM, education, and government services- demand postsecondary education. Thus, it’s estimated that, by 2020, there will be 13 million available jobs requiring bachelor’s degrees.
5. Stand Out
On your path to earning a degree for the future, you would surely pick up some skills to accompany it. Today’s employers are on the lookout not just for those who have a degree, but those who can use it effectively. If added to your degree, you have exceptional communication, leadership, critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills; they would give you a competitive advantage in the job market
6. Increased Earning Potential
While most people are not interested in getting a degree because of the money, you should know that in getting a degree for the future, your salary would automatically be higher. The difference in earning power is striking when you have a degree for the future.
7. Personal Growth and Improved Self-Esteem
In getting any of the best degrees for the future, your personal growth and self-esteem would improve. There’s more to it than the paper, however; you would have found the experience to be deeply and personally rewarding, as well.
Earning a degree for the future is empowering; it boosts confidence and provides a sense of achievement. You would also be confident enough to master complex challenges and overcome adversity, contributing to increased happiness and reduced stress.
8. Higher Job Satisfaction
Where most jobs are going extinct, your job is in vogue. Having a degree for the future leads to greater long-term job satisfaction. Research has shown that 86% of college graduates consider their job a career or a stepping stone to their career, while only 57% of high school graduates say the same.
9. Positive Return on Investment
The cost of a degree is quite a lot of money. By getting a degree for the future, you can be sure that you would see the result of the investment you have made for yourself or your child as the case may be. If you manage not to just get the degree, but to also get the knowledge attached, in no time, you would reap a positive return on this investment.
Research has also shown that young adults express that their degrees are a good value, with 72 per cent believing that their degree has paid off, and an additional 17 per cent believing that it will very soon.
Is getting a degree for the future worth it?
There are several benefits to getting a bachelor’s degree for the future. These include a higher potential income, increased job prospects, and new and enriching life experiences.
If you’ve been working for a while, a bachelor’s degree for the future may also help you launch a new career or advance in your current one. In all, a bachelor degree for the future is worth it.
What is the financial benefit of a degree for the future?
A degree can be friendlier to your wallet not just in the long run, but as soon as you get employed. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 2020, a college graduate working full-time made a median of $1,416 a week, while high school graduates with no college experience earned a median of $789 a week. That gap stretches into a significant difference over a year—a 2019 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that a college graduate earned an average of $33,000 more than a high school graduate in one year. This means that for you, who has gotten a degree for the future, you are likely to earn more than a normal degree holder. This is why you must ensure your degree would matter in the future before getting it.
Jobs you can Get with a Degree for the Future
Every degree you get has job outlooks attached to it. Some of the jobs you can get are-
- Software developers
- Registered nurse
- Financial manager
- Project management specialist
- Market research analysts and marketing specialists
- Medical and health service managers
There are a lot of other jobs you can get with these degrees. The 17 best degrees to get for the future a listed further below.
Cost of a degree program for the future
The cost of a degree depends on several factors, like whether the program is part of a public or private institution, in-state or out-of-state, online or in-person, and whether or not you get financial aid. Keep in mind tuition is separate from other living expenses, like housing and transportation.
Tuition at public institutions costs about $17,797 and $46,014 at private nonprofit institutions for the 2017-18 school. In the US, average annual in-state tuition amounted to $9,037 and out-of-state tuition was $25,657 in the 2017-18 school year. The average public online bachelor’s program tuition costs $38,496 for in-state students, and $60,593 at private ones, according to U.S. News
17 Best Degrees to Get for the Future
If you want to get into some of the best degrees for the future, then this section of the article will be instrumental to you. These degrees have been meticulously chosen because of their importance towards the advancement and adoption of technology in this age.
Hence, these degrees include:
1. Computer Science
The study of computer science in school now goes beyond simply being taught how to use the computer and type fast. You would be focused on writing code in many programming languages and developing software systems, which are a big deal in the world now and for the foreseeable future. This degree is very versatile, as software systems are used in all manners of business and businesses of every size.
The average salary for an employee with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is $85,354. The average salary for a software engineer is $83k annually, software developers earn an average of $69k per year, and senior software engineers are paid an average annual salary of $115k.
2. Health Information Technology
It is usually said that Health is Wealth. This degree has to do with keeping digital records of the health files of patients on the cloud and ensuring they are safe. With the world going digital, the demand for health information technicians is on the rise.
This degree prepares you for work in the field of coding and classifying medical documents and working with different health care reimbursement methods. The average salary for a health information technician is $35,276 per year with some bonuses and profit-sharing possibilities.
3. Information Technology
A degree in information technology would enable you to work as a software developer, cybersecurity expert, IT consultant or business analyst, computer network architect, computer forensic analyst, and many other jobs where the demand for qualified workers is growing.
Anyone with a degree in IT can rest assured that the knowledge which he possesses would help in the future. The average salary for an Information Technology (IT) Manager is $88,424 per year plus bonuses, commissions, and profit-sharing opportunities.
4. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
An Artificial Intelligence degree is well-rounded, including coursework in advanced mathematics, engineering, and computer science. This degree allows you to create machines or systems with the capability to solve problems without human intervention.
It is a very good degree and one of the best degrees to get for the future. Those employed in the field of artificial intelligence earn an average annual salary of $123,571.
5. Computer Science and Mathematics
This is one of the degrees that are in high demand and a degree that allows you to work as an analyst, mathematics or technical instructor, systems or database administrator, computer technician, software engineer.
There are many career opportunities for this degree which makes it one of the best degrees to get for the future. Annual salaries vary depending on the job taken, however, the average salary for a senior software engineer, developer, or programmer is $96,907 per year.
6. Electrical and Computer Engineering
Whereas this degree is pretty common, its importance cannot be undervalued. Electrical and computer engineers are needed in every sphere of life. They are extremely versatile and work in both homes and companies.
They also study software systems and the digital hardware systems they run, smart grids, and the Internet of Things. Electrical engineering and computer engineering are two of the fastest-growing fields in the U.S. today. It is one of the best degrees to get for the future.
7. Biomedical Engineering
A Biomedical Engineering degree is a blend of engineering and life sciences. Biomedical engineers are responsible for the design of body part replacements and artificial organs. They also design, build, install, maintain, and repair machines that diagnose medical programs. Biomedical engineers earn an average salary of $67,000 per year not including bonuses, profit sharing, and the opportunity for significant commissions. It is one of the best degrees you can get for the future.
8. Civil Engineering
What is life without beautiful houses to live in, beautiful places to visit and structures to maintain? Civil engineers are the brains behind structures, keeping of cities and towns working by building and maintaining roads and transportation systems, public water and sewer systems, and other utilities that keep municipalities running smoothly behind the scenes.
Civil engineering is a degree to get if you enjoy being on your feet, out on the road and thinking steadily, you should consider getting a degree in civil engineering. Civil engineers earn an average annual salary of $66,733.
9. Petroleum Engineering
Crude oil and natural gas are part of our daily lives. In getting a petroleum engineering degree, you would be sure you can never go out of a job. This degree perfectly blends with geology.
Petroleum engineers use their skills to locate deposits of crude oil and natural gas, extract the fossil fuels from the earth, and refine them into usable products that are used worldwide. It is one of the best degrees to get for the future. Petroleum engineers earn an average annual salary of $101,491.
10. Mechanical Engineering
Machines are in every family. Raging from cars, to vacuum cleaners. With a mechanical engineering degree, you can be sure your degree would be relevant in the future. There is no engineering field more diverse than mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineers are needed to design, construct, and maintain all types of mechanical equipment and machinery, devices, and even planes and vehicles. This means that every industry needs mechanical engineers to keep things running, giving graduates many excellent job options and prospects. Mechanical engineers earn an average annual salary of $71,083.
11. Finance
A degree in finance ensures that you are well-grounded in activities related to banking, leverage or debt, credit, capital markets, funds and investments. You would be well-grounded not only in general finance but in private equity and venture capital schemes as well.
This knowledge is something that most companies need. Finance managers are in demand and the field is broad. Many businesses and corporations need financial managers and money experts. The average annual salary for financial managers is $91,919.
12. Business
A business degree provides a broad education that includes finance, advertising, marketing, economics, the art of negotiation, as well as basic best practices in business. Advertising being one of the highest-paid degrees in the world right now, in the nearest future, this isn’t going to change.
In holding a degree in business, you may work in almost any field of business or opt to start your own company. Starting salaries for graduates tend to be very competitive at large corporations. Business managers typically earn a salary between $39k and $109k annually. However, those with a degree in business are qualified for many other positions that may be more lucrative.
13. Economics
Everyone needs to know about economics. A degree in Economics ensures you can categorically analyze the finances of businesses, organizations, or government entities. The study of economics gives students an education into how money is managed and how to make sure a business or organization is spending and charging the right amount for products and services.
The average career for an economic analyst is $62,740 plus bonuses and profit sharing. The average salary for a corporate economist is $75,863 plus bonuses, commissions, and profit-sharing opportunities. It is one of the best degrees to get for the future.
14. Communications
Communications technology entails having the ability to use the recent technological advancements to effectively convey ideas and information. Having this degree would reassure your employer of your stance that you can effectively communicate with customers, other businesses, as well as to conduct inter-office communications.
Normally, communications are a sought after skill by employers. Having a degree in communications is a big plus. The average salary of a communications specialist is $52,480 plus bonuses, commissions, and opportunities for profit sharing.
15. Accounting
Accounting skills are important to every business and organization. A degree in accounting prepares you to work in an extremely wide variety of fields. Accountants are necessary for keeping the books for businesses, completing payroll tasks, tracking sales and expenditures, and conducting internal audits.
As every business needs accounting services, jobs for those with accounting degrees are plentiful. The average annual salary for an accountant is $51,410, not including bonuses, commissions, and profit-sharing opportunities. This is one of the best degrees to get for the future.
16. Physical Therapy
Physical therapy degrees are in high demand. Some people need more than just pain relievers to get through the pain of losing a limb or even a loved one. This degree entails the study of health sciences including anatomy and biology. Physical therapists are an important part of recovery for many patients.
Hospitals and rehabilitation centres need and regularly hire physical therapists to work with patients and help them reach the maximum potential recovery from their injuries. A physical therapy degree is one of the best degrees to get for the future. The average salary for a physical therapist is $71,422 annually.
17. Industrial/Organizational Psychology
This degree is just like studying psychology. The only difference is that here, you specialize in the field of organizational psychology. You would learn specifically about studying and controlling your workspace environment.
This degree can allow you to work in positions coaching employees, optimizing the workplace for optimum performance, performance evaluations, or as an in-house psychologist for a company. Industrial/Organizational psychologists earn an average salary of $103,000 per year.
Frequently Asked Questions
For one, you can always impact positively and you would never be out of a job.
No. They may take more time to perfect after graduation, but they mostly cost the same as any other degree.
Once you are above the age of 16, you are eligible to be enrolled and on your way to getting a degree.
Yes. Some persons have up to 4 degrees. Does no harm. It would only increase your knowledge base.
It would not be captioned “degree for the future”, but if you know what you are looking for, every college or university offers at least 1 degree to get for the future, even ones not on the list above.
Conclusion
In picking a degree to study, the trick is to look out for what most employers are looking out for. For instance, as governments and businesses begin to invest more in green technologies and other solutions to the problem, it’s reasonable to expect a huge expansion in related jobs.
This means that science and engineering graduates are likely to be in high demand for the foreseeable future. It makes this field a degree to get for the future. Use this in ensuring that the degree you are about to delve into is all it.
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