Why so many US students are taking two degrees at once: how it happens and why it matters for careers

More students than ever in the US are choosing double majors. The trend is sweeping public and private universities alike. According to the Hechinger Report, nearly a third of all undergraduates now pursue a second major to strengthen their prospects in an unpredictable job market.

Over the last decade, the number of students double-majoring at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has increased 25 percent. Of the computer science students who choose a second major, nearly six in ten select data science-a field the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports will see 34 percent growth over the next decade, with median salaries nearly twice the national average.

Growing demand for versatile skills

The choices that students make reflect a response to economic uncertainty and rapidly shifting employer expectations. The unemployment rate for recent graduates is running higher, its highest outside the pandemic years since 2014, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, cited by the Hechinger Report. Almost half of recent graduates feel underqualified for an entry-level job, while only about 30 percent are working in their fields of study.

Rachel Slama, associate director of the Future of Learning Lab at Cornell University, told the Hechinger Report: "Students are feeling this kind of spiraling lack of control in a very dynamic labour market. They're probably clinging to the one thing that is in their control, which is the majors they choose. And they think that more is more."

Research supports the fact that a double major has economic value. One 2016 research study by St. Lawrence University and Vanderbilt Law School found that students who combined the major of business with STEM majors earned more than those students with a single major. 

According to the Hechinger Report, additional study from Ohio State and four other universities found that graduates with two majors were 56% less likely to face layoffs, wage reductions, or other unfavorable consequences during economic downturns. Academic strategy and institutional support In order to better prepare graduates for the evolving demands of the workforce, institutions now encourage more students to seek multiple majors. 

"Institutions are thinking strategically about how to align their degree programs with industry, and it might be by pairing two things they already have," Taylor Odle, assistant professor at UW-Madison, told the Hechinger Report. Sometimes a double major can enable students to graduate with no extra time or cost unless additional courses are required. Overlapping course requirements and/or credits earned through dual-enrollment or Advanced Placement in high school provide additional flexibility, according to Kelle Parsons, principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research, quoted by the Hechinger Report. Personal interests and career hedging Students pursue double majors out of intellectual curiosity. The University of Chicago's dean of the college, Melina Hale, told the Hechinger Report : "I see students committing to one career but wanting to have more breadth. They're going and exploring all of these other majors and finding one they love." J. Wesley Null, vice provost at Baylor University, told the Hechinger Report, "They're trying to satisfy their parents, who want them to be employed, but they're also interested in a lot of interdisciplinary kinds of things. These really bright students have a lot of diverse interests." 

In addition to multiple majors, many students are obtaining certificates—also known as "stackable credentials"—that increase employability but need several months to finish. According to the Hechinger Report, 17% of bachelor's degree holders for the class of 2023–2024 obtained at least one certificate. Students who double major or add additional qualifications can demonstrate a variety of talents, expand their employment opportunities, and adapt to a work market that is changing quickly