College · Family Resources

Check the major is
really there

A major on a brochure list can mean a full department or two faculty and a course that runs every other year. Rate each college's version of your major, enter how many students finished it last year, and see which programs are real and which backups you would have.

Start a comparisonWhat you get

Comparisons

The worked example is made up: environmental science at three colleges, and nursing at two where one makes students apply again after the first year. Use initials or a code.

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What you get

College · Family ResourcesFree

What you finish with
A saved comparison per major: how much being offered, getting in, depth, faculty and backups matter; each college rated 1 to 5 with graduates in the major last year and credits in the major; seven questions such as direct admission and how often required courses run marked answered or still to ask; and a next step. The flags rank the colleges, call out programs with fewer than 10 graduates a year, turn credits into a share of a 120-credit degree and flag a must-have rated 2 or lower. A side-by-side table prints.
Who it is for
High school students with a major in mind, students thinking of transferring for a major, and the families helping them.
Format
Browser tool with a saved record per decision. Prints a side-by-side table with the scores, the full record, every comparison in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Family Resources space in Caveat College.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Name the major and a backup.
  2. Find it in each college's catalog.
  3. Look up graduates last year.
  4. Rate each college's version.
  5. Print the side-by-side table.

Start a comparison

What "we offer that major" can mean

Four things a listed major can beFull majorIts own degree withrequired coursesWhat you want for yourmain fieldConcentrationA track inside abroader majorCheck the diplomawordingMinorAbout 15 to 24 creditsAdds to a major; not adegreeCapped majorSecond applicationafter prerequisitesAsk the admit rateinto itFour things a listed major can beFull majorIts own degree with required coursesWhat you want for your main fieldConcentrationA track inside a broader majorCheck the diploma wordingMinorAbout 15 to 24 creditsAdds to a major; not a degreeCapped majorSecond application after prerequisitesAsk the admit rate into it
Credit counts vary by college; the catalog for your entry year sets them.

Graduates tell you size

College Navigator, from the U.S. Department of Education, lists how many degrees a college awarded in each program last year. A handful of graduates a year can mean small classes and close faculty contact, and also courses that run only when enough students sign up. Ask the department which.

Direct admit or apply again

Some majors admit students as freshmen. Others, often nursing, engineering, business or computer science, take a second application after a year of prerequisites, with a minimum GPA and limited seats. Ask what share of students who apply get in, and what students do when they do not.

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. College Navigator: programs and majors, degrees awarded (nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator).
  2. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Classification of Instructional Programs (nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode).
  3. ABET. Accredited program search (abet.org).
  4. Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Directory of accredited programs (aacnnursing.org/ccne-accreditation).

The worked example and its colleges are made up. Program rules and credit counts change; each college's catalog for your entry year is the final word. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.