NACE Survey: Most Sought Majors by Employers in 2026
Choosing a college major is not just about interest — job-market data can be a compass. The Winter 2026 Salary Survey released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) involved 150 organizations and ran October-November 2025. Result: Finance and Mechanical Engineering topped employer demand, with 61.3 percent of respondents planning to hire their graduates.
Next came Computer Science (60 percent), then Accounting and Business Administration/Management (58.7 percent each). The top 10 is completed by Electrical Engineering (51.3 percent), Information Science & Systems (48 percent), Logistics/Supply Chain Management (44.7 percent), Marketing (44 percent), and Human Resources (40 percent).
Technology and Health Majors Stay Strong
The digital era keeps pushing IT workforce demand across nearly all industries, from startups to multinationals. Informatics/Computer Science graduates can become software developers, data analysts, cybersecurity specialists, and UI/UX designers. AI development actually adds demand for experts who can build, process, and secure digital systems.
Meanwhile, health majors — medicine, nursing, midwifery — remain the safest choice since medical skills are hard for technology to replace. In Indonesia, demand for doctors and health workers persists in hospitals, clinics, community health centers, and international organizations.
Business and Engineering Majors in Indonesia
Accounting and Finance graduates enjoy stable prospects because nearly every company needs sound financial management: public accountants, auditors, financial analysts, and tax consultants. Business Management offers high flexibility across sectors.
On the engineering side, Mechanical Engineering is increasingly relevant in the AI era for designing and maintaining robots and automation systems. In Indonesia, Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering also offer big opportunities as the mining and energy industries grow.
Must-Have Skills in the AI Era
A major alone is not enough. Five key skills AI cannot replace are critical thinking, emotional intelligence, adaptability, creativity, and the ability to collaborate with AI tools. Lifelong learning is a must to survive the 2026 job market.
Conversely, graduates of basic administration, basic accounting, and translation are most threatened by automation and must upgrade their skills promptly. The principle: choose a major that teaches how to think, not just how to do — principles outlast procedures.
