Most students pick the same handful of majors.
Computer Science. Mechanical Engineering. Biology. All the “safe” picks. Here’s the issue with going with the crowd:
You find yourself competing with thousands of other grads for the same jobs. On the other hand, there are quieter majors that have:
- Less competition
- Massive industry demand
- Higher than average starting salaries
Majors you never hear about on career day. Space systems engineering is one of the strongest.
Let’s break it down…
What you’ll find inside:
- Why Underrated Majors Often Beat Popular Ones
- Space Systems Engineering — The Sleeper Hit
- 4x Other Underrated Majors With Strong Job Prospects
- How To Pick The Right Major For You
Why Underrated Majors Often Beat Popular Ones
“Majors” aren’t popular because they have the best pay. They’re popular because parents and counselors steer kids into them.
But popularity creates a problem…
If everybody majors in the same thing it leads to saturation in the job market. Now that “safe” computer science degree has you competing with 800 others for the junior dev position.
Underrated majors flip that. Fewer graduates means:
- Fewer people competing for jobs: Employers can’t find people in niche industries to fill positions. You will have more interviews and offers.
- Higher leverage in salary talks: You have more leverage in salary negotiations if the company can’t easily replace you.
- Quicker promotion: Less talent pools = More senior responsibility sooner than your counterparts.
The key is selecting obscure majors linked to occupations with demand.
Space Systems Engineering — The Sleeper Hit
Space systems engineering is currently one of the lowest known majors in technical/science fields.
Why Space Careers Are Getting So Popular: Many people associate space careers with NASA. Space Careers = Astronauts. They believe that it’s impossible to pursue a career in that field.
That picture is 20 years out of date.
Space is officially big business. The worldwide space economy surpassed $613 billion in 2024, fueled by 7.8% annual growth. That’s larger than the entire video game industry worldwide.
And here’s the kicker…
There are more jobs than qualified applicants. It’s a huge skills gap, and trained graduates are hired almost immediately. If you’re looking to enter a field with lasting career demand, a Space Studies Degree will place you at the center of one of the fastest expanding technical industries in the world. Space studies will teach you how satellites, launch vehicles, and orbital systems are engineered — skills commercial space companies need desperately.
What kind of jobs are out there?
- Satellite design and operations
- Launch vehicle engineering
- Mission planning
- Spacecraft systems integration
Salaries are equivalent to demand. In 2023, aerospace engineers had a median annual wage of $130,720, much higher than the median annual wage for all occupations.
Bonus: Space companies hire software engineers, data analysts, and project managers as well. Having a space-centric degree puts you leagues ahead of other STEM majors.
Why is this happening now? Two big shifts:
- Falling launch costs. Reusable rockets cut the price of getting to orbit dramatically.
- Government investment is surging. Global government space spending increased by 6.7%, reaching $132 billion, with the United States leading at $77 billion for national security and civil programs.
This is the “gateway” moment for space jobs. Kind of like how computer science was back in the early 90s.
4x Other Underrated Majors With Strong Job Prospects
Space systems engineering isn’t the only underrated major. Here are four more:
Materials Science & Engineering
Materials science is the secret weapon behind almost every modern technology.
Quicker chips? Improved batteries? Lighter airplanes? Sounds like materials. But very few students select this major because nobody’s ever heard of it.
Materials engineers work in:
- Semiconductors
- Renewable energy
- Aerospace
- Biomedical devices
It’s because the major overlaps chemistry, physics, and engineering… you can’t just snap your fingers and produce grads.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
GIS is odd. It takes geography, computers, and data interpretation into one subject.
It’s also everywhere. City planners utilize it. Climate scientists use it. Logistics companies use it. Uber and Amazon are huge employers of GIS specialists. It’s small enough of a major that demand outpaces supply tenfold.
Love maps? Data? Finding solutions to real problems? Perhaps this job is for you.
Nuclear Engineering
Most students hear “nuclear” and skip the page. That’s a mistake.
The energy sector is experiencing a nuclear renaissance. Investors are pumping money into small modular reactors, as well as next-gen reactor designs. The problem?
There’s a shortage of nuclear engineers. Much of the current workforce is retiring, so new grads are stepping into senior level positions.
It’s not just power plants either. Nuclear engineers also work in:
- Medical imaging
- National defense
- Space propulsion
Biostatistics
Biostatistics is the combination of statistics with biology and medicine. This major drives drug trials, public health studies and epidemiology.
Demand is high because the world creates more health data each year than ever before, and fewer people understand how to analyze it correctly. Biostatisticians are paid like data scientists with MUCH less competition for senior positions.
How To Pick The Right Major For You
Picking an obscure major doesn’t mean you just want to be contrarian. It’s about matching up three factors:
- What you actually enjoy: If you hate doing the work, no amount of salary will make a job worthwhile.
- Where the demand is going: Look at industries that are growing, not shrinking.
- What the talent pool looks like: Less competition means more leverage.
Space systems engineering covers all three for the right student. Even with worldwide volatility, commercial aerospace has more job openings than candidates.
The same logic applies to materials science, GIS, nuclear engineering, and biostatistics.
Quick tip: Speak with someone already in the field before diving in. LinkedIn is great for this.
Final Thoughts
The “popular” majors aren’t bad majors. They just come with serious competition.
Underrated majors give you a different angle:
- Less competition — fewer graduates fighting for jobs
- Higher demand — industries actively struggling to hire
- Strong salaries — driven by tight talent pools
- Faster career growth — senior roles open up sooner
Space systems engineering is the clear choice for technologically-minded students. The field is expanding rapidly and both salaries and demand for graduates are high.
Choose a major not because everyone else is. Choose the major that aligns with where the jobs ARE – five years down the road and ten years down the road.