undergraduate
Human resources
Best schools with human resources
What is a human resources major?
Students studying human resources in general are taught to manage the development of human capital in organizations, and to provide related services to individuals and groups. Concentrations include human resources management, labor and industrial relations, labor studies, organizational behavior studies, and human resources development, as well as others. This involves studying personnel and organization policy, human resource dynamics and flows, labor relations, sex roles, civil rights, human resources law and regulations, motivation and compensation systems, work systems, career management, employee testing and assessment, recruitment and selection, managing employee and job training programs, and the management of human resources programs and operations.
of students said great professors were a highlight of this major.
of students found this major to be difficult.
of students said they were motivated to select this major because it fit their passion & interest.
of students and alumni plan on being or are currently employed in an occupation related to this major.
of students said balancing many projects & deadlines was a challenging aspect of the major.
How much do human resources majors make?
median average salary
$65,000/yr
The national average salary for human resources graduates in the United States is $65,000 per year. Those in the top 10 percent make over $150,000 a year, while the bottom 10 percent make under $26,000 a year. While salary ranges can vary by role, industry, and location, human resources graduates typically make between $42,000 and $100,000 per year.
How popular is human resources as a major?
Each year, around 8,640 students obtain a bachelor’s degree and around 920 students obtain an associate degree in human resources. In 2021, 8,565 students received a bachelor's degree and 838 students received an associate degree. This is 4% more human resources majors than there were in 2020. Human resources is one of the most popular majors within business and management.
Advice from human resources majors
Share your experienceMake sure you have deep care for people and want to move the field forward. It's a lot of reading but worth it if you apply what you are learning.
Is such an eye opener in the field you study and learn, be ready to explore many areas and be ready to learn communication skills, and management skills, it is a great field.
Get real world experience early in your pursuit for this career. It's an extremely rewarding field, but there are also many personality adjustments associated with HR/people/inclusion and diversity roles.
Continue to learn after graduation whether through SHRM, conferences, or webinars.