Undecided Students
Students who were undecided about their planned major made up 15% of all ACT-tested high school graduates.
Distribution of Four-Year and Two-Year College Students Who Were Undecided at Time of ACT Registration by Major Area of Best-Fitting Planned Major and by Major Area of Declared Major
Distribution of Four-Year and Two-Year College Students Who Were Undecided at Time of ACT Registration by Major Area of Best-Fitting Planned Major and by Major Area of Declared Major
| Area of Study | Best-Fitting Planned Major | Declared Major |
|---|---|---|
| Business | 16% | 21% |
| Education | 14% | 6% |
| Commun, Fam., & Personal Svcs | 13% | 9% |
| Health Sci. & Techno. | 10% | 10% |
| Health Admin. & Assisting | 7% | 0.4% |
| Comp. Sci. & Mathematics | 7% | 4% |
| Social Sciences & Law | 5% | 11% |
| Arts: Visual & Performing | 4% | 5% |
| Area, Eth. & Multidiscip. Studies | 3% | 0.2% |
| English & Foreign Lang. | 3% | 2% |
| Communications | 3% | 5% |
| Agric. & Nat. Res. Cons | 3% | 2% |
| Repair, Production, & Construction | 3% | 1% |
| Sciences: Biological & Physical | 2% | 11% |
| Eng. Tech. & Drafting | 2% | 1% |
| Philosophy, Religion, & Theology | 2% | 1% |
| Engineering | 2% | 10% |
| Architecture | 1% | 0.4% |
| Area of Study | Best-Fitting Planned Major | Declared Major |
|---|---|---|
| Business | 17% | 18% |
| Education | 14% | 4% |
| Commun, Fam., & Personal Svcs | 13% | 16% |
| Health Sci. & Techno. | 7% | 17% |
| Health Admin. & Assisting | 5% | 4% |
| Comp. Sci. & Mathematics | 10% | 5% |
| Social Sciences & Law | 2% | 4% |
| Arts: Visual & Performing | 4% | 5% |
| Area, Eth. & Multidiscip. Studies | 2% | 0.01% |
| English & Foreign Lang. | 2% | 2% |
| Communications | 2% | 2% |
| Agric. & Nat. Res. Cons | 5% | 2% |
| Repair, Production, & Construction | 7% | 9% |
| Sciences: Biological & Physical | 2% | 4% |
| Eng. Tech. & Drafting | 4% | 6% |
| Philosophy, Religion, & Theology | 1% | 0% |
| Engineering | 2% | 3% |
| Architecture | 2% | 0.1% |
Graph reads: Of college students who were undecided about their planned major when they registered for the ACT, 14% of 4-year and 2-year students had an interest profile that is the best fit with a major in the area of Education. However, only 6% of 4-year students and 4% of 2-year students declared a major in this area.
Note: Based on 4% of the college-enrolled ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who indicated they were undecided about their planned major when they registered for the ACT, completed the ACT Interest Inventory, and for whom a college major was provided.
- The light beige bars in the chart provide the distribution of these college students into the 18 major areas by assigning them to the major that offers the best fit given their measured interests.
- The darker beige bars provide the actual distribution of these college students into the 18 major areas based on their declared major.A smaller share of college students declared majors in areas such as Education than would have been expected based on assigning students to the major that offers the best fit with their measured interests
Percent of College Students with Good Interest-Major Fit for Declared Major by ACT Composite Score, Level of College Attended, and Planned Major Status
Percent of College Students with Good Interest-Major Fit for Declared Major by ACT Composite Score, Level of College Attended, and Planned Major Status
| ACT Composite Score Range |
Planned Major Status | 2-Year College | 4-Year College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–15 | Selected a Planned Major | 26% | 25% |
| 1–15 | Undecided about Planned Major | 24% | 18% |
| 16–19 | Selected a Planned Major | 30% | 31% |
| 16–19 | Undecided about Planned Major | 26% | 25% |
| 20–23 | Selected a Planned Major | 33% | 36% |
| 20–23 | Undecided about Planned Major | 27% | 27% |
| 24–27 | Selected a Planned Major | 35% | 40% |
| 24–27 | Undecided about Planned Major | 28% | 30% |
| 28–32 | Selected a Planned Major | 35% | 42% |
| 28–32 | Undecided about Planned Major | 27% | 32% |
| 33–36 | Selected a Planned Major | 45% | |
| 33–36 | Undecided about Planned Major | 33% |
| ACT Composite Score Range |
Planned Major Status | 2-Year College | 4-Year College |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–15 | Selected a Planned Major | 26% | 25% |
| 1–15 | Undecided about Planned Major | 24% | 18% |
| 16–19 | Selected a Planned Major | 30% | 31% |
| 16–19 | Undecided about Planned Major | 26% | 25% |
| 20–23 | Selected a Planned Major | 33% | 36% |
| 20–23 | Undecided about Planned Major | 27% | 27% |
| 24–27 | Selected a Planned Major | 35% | 40% |
| 24–27 | Undecided about Planned Major | 28% | 30% |
| 28–32 | Selected a Planned Major | 35% | 42% |
| 28–32 | Undecided about Planned Major | 27% | 32% |
| 33–36 | Selected a Planned Major | 45% | |
| 33–36 | Undecided about Planned Major | 33% |
Graph reads: 18% of 4-year college students and 24% of 2-year college students with an ACT Composite score in the range of 1–15 who were undecided about their planned major declared a major that is a good fit with their interests.
Note: Based on 31% of the college-enrolled ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who either selected a planned major or indicated they were undecided when they registered for the ACT, completed the ACT Interest Inventory, and for whom a college major was provided. Percentage not provided when sample size is less than 50.
Related Links
- At both 4-year and 2-year colleges, students who were undecided about their planned major area were less likely than those who selected a planned major to have good Interest-Major Fit with their declared major.
- Among 4-year college students who were undecided about their planned major, the Interest-Major Fit for their declared major increases with their ACT Composite score. This same pattern is not evident among 2-year college students who were undecided about their planned major.