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Home Economics or Entrepreneurship: The Most Common Majors by Generation

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Regardless of what generation we’re part of, we all heard the same thing in school when we were growing up: “The jobs of tomorrow don’t even exist yet!” What most of our teachers failed to mention is that the majors of tomorrow are probably being invented as well.

home economics 

(Photo Credit: M. Kelley/Flickr)

Don’t believe us? Check out our Generations at Work data package, and the most common majors by generation.

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Gen Y:

Can you learn to think independently from a structured program of study? Gen Y says you can. Millennials are 9.45 more likely to have studied Entrepreneurship and Marketing that previous generations.

gen y majors

Gen X:

Generation X is the first age group born into a world where space travel was possible, so it’s not surprising that they are 4.1 times more likely to study professional aeronautics than other generations.

gen x majors 

Baby Boomers:

Most high schools don’t even teach home economics anymore — something Gen Xers and Millennials have cause to regret when they set their kitchens on fire or try to figure out how to balance a checkbook using the internet. It’s hard to believe that it was ever a popular major in college, but it was for workers born between 1946 and 1964, at least compared with later generations. Baby Boomers are a whopping 18.18 percent more likely to have majored in home ec.

baby boomer major 

Tell Us What You Think

Do you think your college major is typical of your generation? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.

Jen Hubley Luckwaldt
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