Key Takeaways
The "easiest" degree to get depends on your individual strengths, but students often find the humanities and social sciences less demanding than many STEM fields.
Fewer STEM requirements, more discussion-based learning, and a stronger focus on subjective analysis can make subjects feel more manageable.
"Easier" degrees still require significant effort, and you should align your choice of major with your learning interests and career goals.
The easiest degree to get depends on your individual strengths. That said, many students share a view that programs with less technical content and more discussion-based coursework are generally less demanding. Similarly, many learners find it easier to engage with course content focused on personal interpretation and open-ended analysis.
This description fits many subjects in the humanities and social sciences, which dominate the detailed list of easier college majors provided below. Explore it as you seek to identify a good fit for your educational goals.
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What Makes a College Major Easier?
Features that make a subject "easy" depend on your personal aptitudes, interests, and skills. However, students consistently identify several elements that make a subject less difficult:
Fewer math/science requirements
Flexible coursework
Discussion-based classes
Fewer labs
As higher education expert Stephanie DeBord says, "Often, liberal arts or general studies degrees are viewed as easier in terms of rigor because they encompass a wide range of courses that can align to different learning styles and preferences."
However, DeBord adds a caveat. "It is important to note that even if a certain major is considered more flexible or less rigorous, pursuing a degree is going to require a significant amount of dedication and effort to complete."
10 Easiest Degrees to Get
To determine the easiest degrees to get, we analyzed National Center for Education Statistics data on the highest GPAs on average in 2020 and excluded majors with heavy math and science requirements considered to be more difficult, as well as majors that are more aligned with less-than-four-year programs.
The average GPA across all majors, for reference, is 3.15. Here are the 10 easiest college majors:
1. Cultural and Gender Studies
Average GPA: 3.35
Why Students Find It Easy: This interdisciplinary subject offers many avenues for subjective engagement, along with courses that regularly use discussion-based formats.
Best Fit For: Online learners with a strong interest in social justice
Career Examples: Social and human service assistants, human resources specialist, policy analyst
2. Anthropology
Average GPA: 3.35
Why Students Find It Easy: Anthropology emphasizes analytical thinking and does not generally involve rigid or heavy scientific or math coursework.
Best Fit For: Online learners with strong analytical skills and an interest in human culture
Career Examples: Anthropologist, museum technician or conservator, survey researcher
3. English
Average GPA: 3.34
Why Students Find It Easy: Literary analysis is subjective and discussion-based, and English majors do not typically engage with technical academic concepts.
Best Fit For: Creative students with strong reading and writing skills who prefer to avoid math
Career Examples: Editor, public relations specialist, technical writer, writer or author
4. Foreign Language
Average GPA: 3.32
Why Students Find It Easy: These degree programs emphasize applied communication skills in settings that often feel more casual.
Best Fit For: Online students with a strong knowledge base in a language other than English
Career Examples: Interpreter or translator, foreign language and literature teacher
5. International Relations and Affairs
Average GPA: 3.3
Why Students Find It Easy: International relations coursework emphasizes reading, writing, and class discussions, and does not normally involve technically rigorous concepts.
Best Fit For: Online learners seeking entry to internationally-focused career paths
Career Examples: Intelligence analyst, policy analyst, political scientist
6. Theology
Average GPA: 3.29
Why Students Find It Easy: Theology programs emphasize reading, writing, subjective analysis, and class discussions over technical concepts.
Best Fit For: Online learners with religious interests
Career Examples: Clergyperson, high school or postsecondary teacher, religious worker
7. Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services
Average GPA: 3.27
Why Students Find It Easy: These programs typically develop hard skills and do not generally involve heavy academic requirements.
Best Fit For: Creative students seeking practical career training
Career Examples: Funeral service worker
8. Philosophy
Average GPA: 3.27
Why Students Find It Easy: While it does involve some intellectually demanding concepts, philosophy does not require extensive memorization or rigorous technical coursework.
Best Fit For: Online learners and creative thinkers interested in complex ideas and "big questions"
Career Examples: Lawyer, mediator or conciliator, policy analyst
9. Political Science and Government
Average GPA: 3.26
Why Students Find It Easy: These majors build on accessible, familiar concepts and pose few mathematical or technical barriers.
Best Fit For: Online learners seeking flexible coursework with few lab components and little to no STEM content
Career Examples: Political scientist, policy analyst, public relations specialist
10. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Average GPA: 3.24
Why Students Find It Easy: Flexible program structures offer you wide latitude to pursue courses in subjects that specifically interest you.
Best Fit For: Online students, creative thinkers, and learners with wide-ranging interests who prefer not to commit to a narrow major
Career Examples: Communications specialist, human resources specialist, training and development specialist
How to Choose the Right "Easy" Major for You
"Easy" is a very subjective concept: Things that come readily to you may be very difficult for others, and vice-versa. The best way to identify the right low-barrier college major is to perform a five-step analysis:
Step 1: Assess Your Interests
The more interested you are in a subject, the easier it often seems. This is generally because the learning process feels more manageable when you are motivated by a subject you enjoy.
Step 2: Assess Your Strengths
Next, evaluate your academic aptitudes and compare those strengths against the majors you're considering. For example, if you love reading and you're a strong writer, English becomes a viable major.
Step 3: Determine How Much Work You Can Tolerate
As you narrow down your list, you'll want to start examining curricula and course descriptions to get a firm idea of exactly how much work each major involves. Consider factors like:
Semesterly credit loads
Weekly in-class hours
Reading and assignment volumes
Also, it can help to consult student-led reviews of specific courses, programs, or schools to see what actual learners have to say about the major, degree path, or college.
Step 4: Look at Majors Aligned With Your Career Goals
You can also approach the question from the reverse angle if you have a clear idea of your preferred career path. Consider the academic credentials you need to enter your chosen career, and select a matching major from there.
Step 5: Determine Your Program Format
Finally, remember that online programs are not inherently "easier." They just use different delivery formats, and those formats translate best to subjects that do not rely on hands-on training or in-person learning.
Some majors tend to work better in face-to-face formats. For example, many of the career paths associated with the "culinary, entertainment, and personal services" category above develop specific hard skills that are difficult to learn online.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Easiest Degrees to Get
Cultural and gender studies, theology, English, and foreign languages tend to involve the least math among the 10 majors profiled above. Some of those majors, such as philosophy, anthropology, international relations, and political science, involve statistical analysis or math-like formal logic.
