Chances are, most colleges you’re looking into have the same majors as many of their competitors. For instance, programs in Engineering, English, Psychology, Chemistry, and Biology are likely what your colleges of interest’s websites and mailing flyers are advertising the most. While these majors are great for students who are interested in those areas, how does someone approach choosing a major if none of these fields fascinate them? The answer: Keep searching.
Many colleges offer more than these typical majors, but you may have to do a little digging because they’re not as well known. Luckily, we’ve done some of the work for you to jump-start the process. Here are our top picks for the most unique college majors of 2020 and where to find them, just to get you thinking:
1. Auctioneering
Have you ever attended an auction or turned on the television to hear the auctioneer talking really, really fast? Talk about an effective communicator! The job of an auctioneer involves selling property and other objects to the public, where the auctioneer awards the item to the highest bidder. You may thrive as an auctioneer if you enjoy public speaking, love to travel, and want to work for yourself—as most auctioneers are independent contractors, meaning they’re self-employed and work on a fee-for-service basis.
Colleges that offer Auctioneering majors
- Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Harrisburg Area CC’s tuition ranges from $2,664–$6,660 per year.
2. Floral Management & Design
If you’ve ever received a bouquet of flowers as a token of appreciation, you’re likely familiar with the term “warm fuzzies.” Giving flowers is a small deed that makes a world of difference in someone’s day. With a degree in Floral Management, you’ll learn how to manage a floral business—whether in-store, at events, or online. You may enjoy working as a floral manager if you have a dream to open up your own business or run someone else’s business, you find flowers make life a little brighter, and you enjoy gardening.
Colleges that offer Floral Management majors
- Mississippi State University in Mississippi State, Mississippi; tuition at MSU can reach up to $23,000 per year.
- Golden West College in Huntington Beach, California; at GWC, tuition reaches up to $8,390 per year.
Related: List: Colleges With Unique or Highly Specialized Majors
3. Footwear Design & Development
High heels, flats, sneakers—a high-heeled sneaker, perhaps. The sky’s the limit when you’re designing shoes. A Footwear Design & Development major allows students to design a shoe line and learn how to market and collaborate with other shoe companies. You may enjoy working as a footwear designer if you love fashion or have a passion for protecting feet.
Colleges that offer Footwear Design & Development majors
- Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) is located in multiple California locations—Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, and San Francisco. The tuition at FIDM is $31,500 per year.
4. Toy Design
Do you feel like a kid at heart? Do you really enjoy skimming through the toy aisle at Target? If you find that toys still bring a joy to your life—whether through giving toys to children in your family at Christmas or purchasing that new Lego set for yourself—a Toy Design major may be just the fit for you.
Colleges that offer Toy Design majors
- Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, California; at Otis, tuition is $23,250 per year.
- Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, New York; at FIT, tuition ranges from $2,595–$7,785 a semester.
5. Farrier Science
If you want to open a business and be self-employed, you may want to consider a unique business that eliminates your competition. With an associate degree in Farrier Science, students learn how to start a business working with horses, particularly related to properly trimming, shoeing, welding, and forging. If you have a love for horses, this may be a unique opportunity to look into.
Colleges that offer a Farrier Science major
- Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico; tuition at Mesalands CC is up to $2,916 per year.
Related: List: The Experts’ Choice: Unusual Majors
6. Theme Park and Attraction Management
Do you love Disney World and Universal Studios? Have you ever had a dream to manage one of these types of parks (or maybe you do now since this made you realize that’s a possibility)? As part of a Hospitality Management major, a Theme Park and Attraction Management track teaches students how to manage risk, manage employees, develop products, and manage operation issues in theme parks. Disney World: here you come.
Colleges that offer a college track in Theme Park and Attraction Management
- Rosen College of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida; the tuition at Rose College of Hospitality is $6,379 per year.
7. Ensemble-Based Physical Theatre
If you enjoy clowning around—or perhaps you were even considered the class clown—you may enjoy the study of Physical Theater to pursue the field of work as a clown or other similar performers. Ensemble-Based Physical Theater majors allow for training in movements and becoming physically responsive as well as other aspects. Students will also study techniques of clowns and masks.
Colleges that offer Ensemble-Based Physical Theatre majors
- Dell’Arte International in Blue Lake, California (Master of Fine Arts); at Dell’Arte, tuition is $13,000 per year.
Related: List: Specialized Colleges: From Cartooning to Underwater Welding
With just this fraction of the unique college majors offered by various colleges across the US, it’s clear that schools aren’t limited in their offerings. If none of the aforementioned majors float your boat, try digging around to find your own unique college major that may better suit your interests. List those interests then search online with the words “college majors,” and before your eyes, you’ll find your unique options. It’s 2020, so the sky’s really the limit regarding what you can major in—and build a future career around.
Start finding unique majors at your schools of interest using our College Search tool! You can search by school, major, state, and more to get the best results for your goals.
