Difficulty Ranking of College Degrees in the U.S?

Hey folks, I'm a high school junior looking for some insight on college majors. I'm really interested in understanding how challenging various degrees can be. Does anyone have a list or know where I can find information on the hardest college degrees in the U.S? I'm curious about this from a workload and difficulty perspective, rather than only looking at courses with notoriously low acceptance rates.

Hi there! Your question is a bit tricky to answer comprehensively because the "difficulty" of a degree can depend on a lot of factors, like a student's strengths, interests, study habits, and the particular professors or university curriculum.

However, it's generally recognized that some degrees tend to be quite challenging due to the heavy workload, complexity of the concepts, and/or the rigorous nature of the academic field itself. Here are some that often crop up on lists of challenging majors:

1. Engineering: This field includes chemical, electrical, civil, and mechanical engineering, among other specialties. These degrees generally involve heavy math and science loads and often require significant project and lab work.

2. Physical Sciences: Degrees in chemistry, physics, and biology often involve rigorous coursework that demands a strong math background. Additionally, lab work or research projects can add to the workload.

3. Mathematics and Statistics: These fields can be demanding because of the abstract nature of the concepts and the high level of analytical and problem-solving skills needed.

4. Computer Science: The workload can be heavy, as it includes both theoretical concepts and hands-on programming courses.

5. Pre-Med Majors: These include biochemistry, neuroscience, and others. The challenge often comes from striving to maintain a high GPA for medical school admissions, as well as balancing heavy loads of science courses.

6. Economics: This can be challenging as it combines both social science and more quantitative, math-heavy coursework.

7. Architecture: Architecture can be an especially time-intensive major due to the design and model-building work involved.

Remember though, this list isn't definitive and the difficulty of a major will depend on the specific courses you're taking and where your strengths lie. Above all, the best major for you will depend on your personal passion and career goals, not just perceived difficulty. High difficulty doesn't necessarily translate to higher job compensation or satisfaction, so it's important to find a balance between challenge and enjoyment. Good luck!