Degree fields with the fewest open jobs
Key facts
- #1 Nursing, Field of study: 343 jobs
- #2 Social work and counseling, Field of study: 366 jobs
- #3 Social sciences and psychology, Field of study: 376 jobs
- 16 degrees ranked across all fields
- Data as of November 2026
- 1Nursing Field of study343 jobs
- 2Social work and counseling Field of study366 jobs
- 3Social sciences and psychology Field of study376 jobs
- 4Education Field of study443 jobs
- 5Health professions and medicine Field of study833 jobs
- 6Physical sciences Field of study934 jobs
- 7Life sciences Field of study1,068 jobs
- 8Design and architecture Field of study2,259 jobs
- 9Law Field of study3,815 jobs
- 10Accounting Field of study5,169 jobs
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Nursing leads on 343 jobs, and #10 Accounting is at 5,169 jobs.
- Nursing reaches #1 on a sample of 343 open jobs, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- Accounting is the largest market in the top ten, with 5,169 open jobs behind its figure.
- Degrees with fewer than 300 open jobs are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
A degree is a route into a group of jobs, and fields differ a lot in how many openings they lead to. Counting open jobs by field of study shows where the demand for each kind of degree sits.
How to use it
If you are choosing a major or a direction for a career change, read the top and bottom together with the pay and growth lists. Fewer openings can still be a good field if few people compete for them.
The top 25
- 1
Nursing Field of study
343 jobs
- Open jobs
- 343
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 0.2%
- Median posted pay
- Not enough pay data
- Projected growth to 2035
- +8.8%
Based on 343 openings.
- 2
Social work and counseling Field of study
366 jobs
- Open jobs
- 366
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 0.2%
- Median posted pay
- $109k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +7.3%
Based on 366 openings.
- 3
Social sciences and psychology Field of study
376 jobs
- Open jobs
- 376
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 0.2%
- Median posted pay
- $140k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +4.1%
Based on 376 openings.
- 4
Education Field of study
443 jobs
- Open jobs
- 443
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 0.2%
- Median posted pay
- $103k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +1.6%
Based on 443 openings.
- 5
Health professions and medicine Field of study
833 jobs
- Open jobs
- 833
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 0.4%
- Median posted pay
- $160k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +8.0%
Based on 833 openings.
- 6
Physical sciences Field of study
934 jobs
- Open jobs
- 934
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 0.4%
- Median posted pay
- $114k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +5.7%
Based on 934 openings.
- 7
Life sciences Field of study
1,068 jobs
- Open jobs
- 1,068
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 0.5%
- Median posted pay
- $143k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +9.4%
Based on 1,068 openings.
- 8
Design and architecture Field of study
2,259 jobs
- Open jobs
- 2,259
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 1.1%
- Median posted pay
- $165k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +1.7%
Based on 2,259 openings.
- 9
Law Field of study
3,815 jobs
- Open jobs
- 3,815
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 1.8%
- Median posted pay
- $175k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +4.5%
Based on 3,815 openings.
- 10
Accounting Field of study
5,169 jobs
- Open jobs
- 5,169
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 2.5%
- Median posted pay
- $83k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +5.0%
Based on 5,169 openings.
- 11
Math and statistics Field of study
6,682 jobs
- Open jobs
- 6,682
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 3.2%
- Median posted pay
- $153k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +25.2%
Based on 6,682 openings.
- 12
Finance and economics Field of study
18,841 jobs
- Open jobs
- 18,841
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 9.0%
- Median posted pay
- $134k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +5.3%
Based on 18,841 openings.
- 13
Marketing and communications Field of study
30,658 jobs
- Open jobs
- 30,658
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 14.6%
- Median posted pay
- $152k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +4.5%
Based on 30,658 openings.
- 14
Engineering Field of study
31,677 jobs
- Open jobs
- 31,677
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 15.1%
- Median posted pay
- $142k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +8.4%
Based on 31,677 openings.
- 15
Computer science and IT Field of study
43,985 jobs
- Open jobs
- 43,985
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 21.0%
- Median posted pay
- $188k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +7.6%
Based on 43,985 openings.
- 16
Business administration and management Field of study
62,474 jobs
- Open jobs
- 62,474
- Share of four-year-degree jobs
- 29.8%
- Median posted pay
- $140k
- Projected growth to 2035
- +6.8%
Based on 62,474 openings.
Full ranking
All 16 degrees that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | Field or level | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing Field of study | 343 jobs | 343 |
| 2 | Social work and counseling Field of study | 366 jobs | 366 |
| 3 | Social sciences and psychology Field of study | 376 jobs | 376 |
| 4 | Education Field of study | 443 jobs | 443 |
| 5 | Health professions and medicine Field of study | 833 jobs | 833 |
| 6 | Physical sciences Field of study | 934 jobs | 934 |
| 7 | Life sciences Field of study | 1,068 jobs | 1,068 |
| 8 | Design and architecture Field of study | 2,259 jobs | 2,259 |
| 9 | Law Field of study | 3,815 jobs | 3,815 |
| 10 | Accounting Field of study | 5,169 jobs | 5,169 |
| 11 | Math and statistics Field of study | 6,682 jobs | 6,682 |
| 12 | Finance and economics Field of study | 18,841 jobs | 18,841 |
| 13 | Marketing and communications Field of study | 30,658 jobs | 30,658 |
| 14 | Engineering Field of study | 31,677 jobs | 31,677 |
| 15 | Computer science and IT Field of study | 43,985 jobs | 43,985 |
| 16 | Business administration and management Field of study | 62,474 jobs | 62,474 |
How this ranking works
A degree field is a group of occupations that are usually reached through the same kind of study, such as Nursing, Engineering or Accounting. The grouping is our own judgment on the occupation code, and only occupations that typically need a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree are included. A field's score is the number of its open professional roles.
A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only fields with at least 300 open jobs are ranked.
Sample bar: degrees with fewer than 300 openings are not ranked.
Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles, matched to standard occupation (SOC) codes; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-35: typical entry-level education and projected employment change by occupation. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which degree field or education level ranks first: degree fields with the fewest open jobs?
- Nursing has the fewest open jobs of the degree fields: 343 jobs in our data.
- How many degrees are ranked?
- 16 degrees have at least 300 open jobs, so the list has 16 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A degree field is a group of occupations that are usually reached through the same kind of study, such as Nursing, Engineering or Accounting. The grouping is our own judgment on the occupation code, and only occupations that typically need a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree are included. A field's score is the number of its open professional roles. A posting does not state a degree. Each is matched to its standard occupation, and the education shown is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists as typical for entering that occupation. Some employers ask for more or less, and about one posting in a hundred has an occupation we could not match, which is left out. Only fields with at least 300 open jobs are ranked.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Degree fields with the fewest open jobs,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/degree-fields-with-the-fewest-open-jobs
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/degree-fields-with-the-fewest-open-jobs">Degree fields with the fewest open jobs (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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