Analysis of factors influencing the selection of college majors by newly admitted students

Abstract

The selection of a college major is an important decision that must be made by all college students. This selection has a major impact on the individual, his/her family, and the country at large. There are many influencing factors that affect the selection of majors by students. These factors include interest in the major, peer pressure, family pressure, academic ability, the major's reputation, job availability, job salary, the major's prestige, employment in public or private sector, and others. This study was conducted on 412 new orientation students at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and on 35 students who selected a major in the College of Environmental Design. The study revealed that the most important factors on the whole were job availability, prospective salary, social status and prestige of the major, in that order. It also revealed that peer and family pressure has little influence on the students in selecting their majors. It also revealed that in the selected group of students in the College of Environmental Design, interest in the major was the most outstanding factor, with personal ability, job availability, salary and prestige of the profession coming later, in that order. Universities having low enrollment in certain programs could focus their advertising to prospective students on these factors to make such programs more appealing.