The line graph illustrates changes in the number of students majoring in four different fields:MBA, engineering, teaching and journalism–over a 30-year period, measured in thousands. Overall, the data show the number of students in MBA and engineering programs increased, while the number of students in teaching and journalism declined during this time.
Looking at fields that gained popularity, MBA and engineering both began with roughly 300,000 and 500,000,respectively, in 1980. These numbers continued to rise steadily until 2000. After that point, the growth in engineering hit a plateau, reaching just above 1.5 million by 2010. In contrast, the number of MBA students surged dramatically, peaking at nearly 2.5 million by 2010.
Regarding fields that saw a decline in popularity, teaching and journalism started with about 800,000 and 400,000,respectively, in 1980. By 1990, both fields experienced a sharp decline, dropping to approximately 400,000 and 200,000 students. After 1990, the numbers decreased at a more gradual pace, reaching similar levels of around 200,000 students by 2010.