Over the past decade, the University of Iowa has seen relatively stable participation in the number of students pursuing a secondary area of study, despite four-year institutions nationwide reporting increases in students pursuing more than one major, minor, or certificate. 

According to UI data, in fall semester of 2025, 15 percent of undergraduates graduated with multiple majors, a number relatively similar to the fall of 2024.

In fall 2024, 16 percent of undergraduates who listed a major as their primary area of study were also pursuing at least one nonprimary major. 

When preparatory programs, such as pre-law, pre-medicine, and pre-dentistry, are included, that number goes up to 30 percent of students pursuing an additional major. 

Ten years earlier in fall 2014, the ratios were roughly the same. Fifteen percent of students had a second major, and 30 percent of students in preparatory programs were pursuing an additional area of study. 

This pattern is different from a national trend, with many U.S. colleges seeing the number of students who are pursuing a double major or minor grow significantly over the past decade, according to data from the Integrated Postsecondary
Data System. 

The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit newsroom covering education, calculated 12 percent of college and university graduates left school with more than one degree in 2023-24, a 6 percent increase from 2014. 

 According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the university reported 30 percent of their 2024 graduates completed multiple majors, which is around 15 percent higher than Iowa.

At the UI, academic advisors see multiple reasons for students to choose to double major, including having additional interests and having extra room in their degree plans.

“Having multiple interests that a single major doesn’t really encompass is one of the most common reasons students pursue a second program of study,” Liz Caldwell, assistant director for UI courses and curriculum, said. “Many students have room in their degree plans for elective courses, and having a second program of study can be a way to focus those around a particular area.”

Flexibility in electives combined with the university’s wide range of majors and programs allows students to uniquely tailor their academic tracks. 

According to the UI, the college offers over 200 areas of study.

Caldwell stresses that just because these areas of study are offered does not mean a second major or minor is the right choice for every student. 

“Having a second program of study, without knowing the context or intention behind why, doesn’t necessarily do a lot of heavy lifting for a student,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said some colleges are more accommodating than others when it comes to students’ abilities to pursue additional majors and minors. 

“I think the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, or CLAS, probably has a lot, since a good number of CLAS majors can accommodate a second program of study,” Caldwell said. 

Piper Kearney, a second-year UI student, said she chose to double major in journalism because it paired well with her English major.

“The English major has a lot of room for electives, and I knew I wanted to push myself academically, so the decision to double major was pretty simple for me,” Kearney said. “Journalism was another major I’d considered going into college, so I went with that.”

Kearney said her additional major has helped her discover journalism events and experiences that she wouldn’t have found otherwise. 

“Joining another department can also open up a bunch more scholarships that are specific to that major, which is nice,” Kearney said. 

UI first-year student Ella Jorgenson is unsure if she wants to pursue a second major in addition to her primary major of chemistry. The potential for extra workload is something that makes her nervous. 

“I’m slightly worried about the workload, but I personally think that the pros of having an education outweigh the cons,” Jorgenson said. 

Jorgenson said pursuing an additional major or minor could be a way to gain new experiences. 

“I’ve thought about pursuing a second major, partly because I am unsure of what I want to do after college,” she said. “I also think it can create more opportunities for myself once I enter the workforce.”