What Is the Hardest Degree to Get?

Key takeaways

Getting any degree in college can be challenging, but earning a more complicated degree can help raise your earning potential and employability. 

• Students in challenging fields such as physical sciences, mathematics, and computer science are more likely to spend an average of 2.6 hours more per week studying and preparing for class than undecided students [1].

• One of the main benefits of choosing a hard major is that you graduate with a range of hard-earned skills and an understanding of your discipline. 

• You can learn more about the benefits and outcomes of challenging degree programs and decide which path is the right one for you.

Discover why a degree may be considered difficult to earn and the challenges offered by graduate degrees, including details about some of the hardest degrees to get, along with job and salary information. 

What makes a college degree hard to get?

Various factors and variables determine the degree of difficulty learners may have in earning a particular degree, including the learner's background and interests. Additionally, three factors that often combine to qualify a major as hard include the following:

• GPA

• Hours studying

• Courseload

GPA

One way to examine how hard a degree is is by looking at the exit grade point averages (GPAs) from college majors. This measure aims to find a correlation between the difficulty of the material and how well students understood it. Using GPA as an indicator does have its issues since all programs in various universities have varying requirements, and some STEM fields increasingly use grade inflation to attract more candidates. However, consider this data from Cornell University regarding students' GPAs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, which can provide insight into the link between challenging degrees and GPAs. 

The list below provides the average GPA of Cornell University’s students in the following majors from 1997 through 2007 [2]:

• Chemistry: 2.78

• Biology: 2.98

• Math: 2.90

• Psychology: 2.95

• Physics: 3.09

Hours studying

Another aspect of a degree that makes it hard is the amount of time per week you need to dedicate to it to understand the theories and concepts. Students with more challenging majors spend significantly more time studying in their major throughout their careers to perform at the level they need to. 

Research from the National Survey of Student Engagement found that undecided first-year students spend an average of 13.9 hours per week preparing for class. However, participants in challenging fields such as physical sciences, mathematics, and computer science were more likely to spend an average of 16.5 hours a week studying and preparing for class [1]. 

Course load

Some degrees require a heavier course load than others. For example, STEM majors have many difficult prerequisite courses like calculus, programming, and lab classes, which require very technical skills to be successful later on in their studies and field. These prerequisites and courses are harder than those taken by humanities majors. 

What is the hardest degree to get in the US?

Let’s take a look at some of the hardest college degree majors to earn in the United States, along with their average earnings, admission requirements, and common coursework. 

*All salary data is median annual from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics as of April 2026 

Energy engineering

Common coursework: Physics, calculus, chemistry, renewable energy, thermodynamics

The difficulty of an energy engineering degree comes from the combined nature of energy systems and the mechanics and industry required to build them. It combines typical energy courses like physics and mathematics with energy courses like thermodynamics, wind, and effective energy distribution. 

Possible careers and median earnings

• Environmental engineer: $104,170

• Petroleum engineer: $141,280

Philosophy 

Common coursework: Logic, ethics, metaphysics, ancient philosophy, modern philosophy

Philosophy requires critical thinking and writing skills that examine methods of thought throughout history. Philosophical thinking requires creative thinking, which requires students to think outside of given truths about society, which makes it challenging compared to technical majors like mathematics or engineering. This makes it a major factor for many students when they want to apply to law or medical school. 

Possible careers and median earnings

• Professor: $83,980

• Lawyer: $151,160

• Physician: $239,200

Physics

Common coursework: Advanced calculus, mechanics, electricity and magnetism, particle physics

Physics is a challenging degree that involves understanding the mathematical and physical basis of the universe. It forces students not just to memorize information but also to know why they are applying a particular formula or concept to solve a problem. The foundational scientific and critical thinking skills gained in physics give you access to a variety of careers within the discipline and outside of it. 

Possible careers and median earnings

• Physicist: $166,290

• Astronomer: $132,170

Biology

Common coursework: Organic chemistry, physics, molecular biology, lab skills, biochemistry

Biology studies all life forms, from humans to fungi, and involves lots of time spent in a lab analyzing and running experiments. Difficulty in biology comes from the fundamentals of biology, such as biochemistry, microbiology, and physiology. It has a range of specializations and a major for many pre-medical school students, making it extra difficult. 

Possible careers and median earnings

• Microbiologists: $87,330

• Biologist: $72,860

• Biochemists and Biophysicists: $103,650

Data science

Common coursework: Linear algebra, statistics, computer science, software engineering, programming

Data science is an interdisciplinary degree that combines knowledge of computing, programming, data, hardware, and mathematics. Students learn how to use data and make predictions by building algorithms and programs. 

Possible careers and median earnings

• Data scientist: $112,590

• Computer and Information Systems Manager: $171,200

• Software engineer: $133,080

What degree has the highest dropout rate?

In addition to an estimated dropout rate of 10.7 percent, data suggests that 62 percent of educational institutions saw enrollment in computer science degrees drop in 2025 [3, 4] Despite having the highest dropout rate, computer science degrees continue to command strong salaries, with the National Association of Colleges and Employers estimating average salaries of $94,212, an increase of 10.9 percent compared to the previous year, for those graduating with master's degrees [5]. When considered together, you can infer that it’s a challenging degree with a solid payoff if you stick with it. 

Challenging graduate degrees to earn

Graduate degrees are inherently more challenging than undergraduate degrees because they build on the foundational skills and knowledge you already have. If you already have an undergraduate degree or want to know if you want to pursue a graduate degree, consider the challenge that comes with each kind of graduate degree. 

Read more: Is Grad School Hard?

Master’s degree

Master’s degrees take the foundational skills you learned in your undergraduate degree and put them to the test by exploring them even deeper. With a master’s degree also comes a thesis program, where you spend your time in classes and developing your ideas and original research. In the hardest thesis programs, expectations of students are high, and you need to write and read at the graduate level and pace. 

Professional doctorate

A professional doctorate prepares students to work in their selected field. These degrees are highly coveted for working professionals like lawyers and doctors. Some examples include:

• Medical doctors (MD)

• Pharmacists (PharmD)

• Dentists (DMD)

• Lawyers (JD)

Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) 

If you want the challenge of rigorous academic research, a PhD is among the hardest. Even getting accepted into a program is a challenge, as you need to show your previous degrees, which sometimes requires a master’s, and begin to formulate your research interests. The degree itself takes five to seven years and ends with you defending your dissertation, which is a piece of original research. Earning a PhD requires intense dedication, time management, and hard work.

Reasons to pursue a challenging degree or major

Choosing to pursue a challenging degree has its benefits. One of the main benefits of choosing a hard major is that you graduate with a range of hard-earned skills and an understanding of your discipline. Another reason is that harder college majors can deliver a higher earning potential because of the skills and disciplines you choose to study, regardless of the degree received. 

Explore our free learning resources

Join us on Career Chat, where you can explore career tips, research industry trends, and gain insights into all your learning options. Then, check out these free resources as you consider your academic and career path:

• Watch on YouTube: Education Pays: 7 Degrees for Higher Salaries 

• Hear from an insider: Meet the 18-Year-Old Getting His Master’s Degree in Data Science 

• Consider your options: What Should You Earn: A Certificate or a Degree? 

Explore flexible master’s degree and postdoctoral programs available from esteemed college and university partners on Coursera.