From health care to business, here are 10 most popular majors at the University of Kentucky
Majors related to health care and business were among the most popular at the University of Kentucky last school year.
Students will return to UK in the coming weeks, with classes for the fall semester starting on Aug. 22. UK had more than 31,500 students enrolled last fall, and has more than 200 academic programs at the university.
Looking back to the previous school year, here were the most popular majors at UK. Enrollment information for each major is from the fall 2021 semester, and was provided by UK.
1. Nursing
UK’s nursing major is its most popular degree. The first class graduated from the College of Nursing in 1964, and since then, the program has grown and now includes thousands of graduates, according to UK’s website. Nurses are in high demand across Kentucky as the state faces a nursing shortage.
For the fall 2021 semester, there were 1,360 nursing students enrolled at UK.
2. Biology
Students looking at a career in the medical field may choose to major in biology for their undergraduate degree. The second-most popular major at UK is biology with 1,152 students enrolled last year.
UK formed the Thomas Hunt Morgan School of Biological Sciences in 1966, bringing together three different departments. In 2002, the school became the biology department that exists today, according to UK’s website.
3. Psychology
Students choosing UK’s third-most popular major, psychology, have a wide variety of careers to choose from, including as a psychologist, counselor or researcher.
There were 1,111 students enrolled in the psychology major last fall.
4. Finance
Several majors within the Gatton College of Business and Economics are among the most popular at UK, including finance. Students in this major could choose careers as stock brokers, corporate finance or banking.
There were 1,030 students enrolled in the finance major last year.
5. Marketing
Also in the Gatton College, marketing is another top major at UK. Students majoring in marketing can pursue careers in research, logistics and sales positions.
There were 997 students enrolled in marketing at UK last year.
6. Mechanical Engineering
Students majoring in mechanical engineering can pursue careers in manufacturing, equipment design and aviation, as well as working for consulting firms or government agencies.
There were 895 students enrolled in mechanical engineering last year.
7. Management
Another major from the business college is also among UK’s most popular. The management major includes classes in human resources, organizational behavior and business strategies and management, allowing students to pursue careers in a wide variety of areas.
There were 868 students enrolled in UK’s management major last year.
8. Kinesiology
Kinesiology, or exercise science, prepares students for a career in areas including physical therapy, sports medicine, coaching and training.
There were 791 students enrolled in kinesiology at UK last year.
9. Computer Science
UK’s computer science program is one of the oldest computer science departments in the country, established in 1966, according to UK’s website. Students majoring in computer science can pursue careers in software development, computer programming and web development, all high-demand jobs.
There were 585 students in the computer science major last year.
10. Communication
Rounding out the list at UK’s tenth most popular major is communication. Students in this major can pursue careers in a variety of areas, including public relations, business communications and social media management.
There were 558 students in UK’s communication major last year.