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20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home

Written by College Cliffs Team At CollegeCliffs.com, our team, comprising seasoned educators and counselors, is committed to supporting students on their journey through graduate studies. Our advisors, holding advanced degrees in diverse fields, provide tailored guidance, current program details, and pragmatic tips on navigating application procedures.

Reviewed by Linda Weems I got started researching colleges and universities about 10 years ago while exploring a second career. While my second career ended up being exactly what I’m doing now, and I didn’t end up going to college, I try to put myself in your shoes every step of the way as I build out College Cliffs as a user-friendly resource for prospective students.

Updated: April 15, 2024, Reading time: 23 minutes

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While remote work from home started as a trend, it has undeniably turned into a mainstay recently, and for good reason. Many companies and employers have realized its advantages and efficacy. In fact, one study shows that 77% of remote workers demonstrate higher productivity levels. Of these, 30% accomplish more in less time, and 24% do so in the same amount of time. 

Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - fact

If you’re looking into exploring this work setting in the near future, what’s crucial now is to select the right college degree that can prepare you to be the best fit for what these companies are looking for.

As a future teleworker, you need to possess the right education and skills to sustain remote work from home. We have the answers to your questions on which industries or careers offer the most economic opportunities for remote workers. 

College Cliffs is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Benefits of Working From Home

Before anything else, it’s wise to learn the benefits of working from home. As mentioned in many research studies, teleworking can boost productivity and increase employee morale

Here are more benefits of working from home:

Improved Work-Life Balance

One thing about remote work is that employees will have more flexible schedules. In such cases, employees can start and stop their days whenever they wish, provided their work is finished and produces high-quality results. Being able to manage their work schedule may be quite helpful for taking care of their other obligations.

Whether they need to run errands, pick up kids from school, perform house chores, or spend time with friends, they’ll have more time to spare for all these other activities. Working from home allows them to have an improved overall work-life balance. 

Increased Performance

One good reason to shift to telework is the increase in performance for many workers. There are often fewer workplace politics, dramas, distractions, interruptions, and fewer unnecessary meetings in this kind of work setup. Also, staff won’t have to take up time for their daily commute, which means they can focus more on their tasks.

This is a major advantage of working from home for both businesses and people. If implemented properly, remote work frees up both individuals and employers to concentrate on what matters most, which is to increase work performance. 

No Commuting

Many people lose an hour or more of their day to their daily commute. Depending on the city or town, traffic can range from mild to worse, especially during the peak hours when most workers also travel to their offices. By working from home and escaping commuting time, you can save time to perform other tasks instead. Also, it’s worth pointing out that commuting costs and transportation fees are eliminated with remote work setup. 

Customized Work Environment

One thing that many workers love about remote work is the freedom to choose or design their workspaces. Working from home gives you the freedom to select the ideal setting for increasing your level of productivity. You may customize your workspace to fit your needs by adjusting the desk, chair, view, noise level, and even your location.

No matter whether you prefer working with music in the background or a peaceful and noise-less environment, you have the flexibility to modify and change your work environment with remote work from home. 

More Focus

Your productivity will increase since you may design an atmosphere that suits you and helps you concentrate. You can avoid politics, gossip, and drama, which are sometimes common in some workspaces. You can focus on whatever task is laid out for the day and even finish early because there’s nothing or no one that will distract you from doing them.

Sustainable

Employees and employers can work hand in hand to lessen the use of resources, thus making remote work more sustainable. Working from home reduces the expense and consumption of going to the office significantly. When workers don’t have to commute, they frequently save a ton of time and money on petrol and energy. They also use less power and other office gadgets. 

Flexible Schedule

Many remote workers embrace this setup due to the flexible schedule. You may often establish a routine that is most effective for you when working remotely. You are free to take breaks whenever you need them, come back to work with renewed energy, and become more productive. However, it’s crucial to have good time management skills in order to be able to balance work and other obligations at home effectively. 

The Evolution of Remote Work

Because of a lack of technology, remote work as we know it now wasn’t even possible in the past. When you were not in the office, your coworkers and business associates were unable to contact you via email, text message, or direct message. The only probable means of communication at that time was through email, and this may create hiccups for some businesses. 

Fortunately, fast forward to some years later, the development of communication applications supported remote work from home more than ever before. For instance, video conferencing can help facilitate seamless remote work.

The next best thing to face-to-face meetings is a live video feed, which allows out-of-office workers to see and speak to each other in real time. There are also many chatting apps, great for work environments, where they can easily share files and manage projects together despite the distance apart.

Another innovation that supports remote work is the switch to coworking spaces instead of fixed and traditional offices. It enables workers to choose whether they want to work in a coworking space environment or work in their own homes.

Portable computers, otherwise referred to as laptops, were made possible by advances in computers, and people have increasingly used them as tablets and smartphones have evolved. Machines that once took up entire rooms now fit in your backpack, purse, or pocket.

Wi-Fi enables these devices to connect to any other device that has access to the internet anywhere in the world. As a result, cloud-based computing came along to help you access, share, and store all your data in one place. Team collaboration is now easy peasy thanks to all these technological developments and tools. 

The Promise of Remote Work

How exactly can remote work impact the future? While it’s considered a mainstay, some people can’t help but question how it will change in many years to come. 

The fact is the option to work remotely, at least part of the time, and flexible scheduling is becoming increasingly important for employee retention. Those who work remotely are significantly more engaged than those who spend five days a week in an office. With this data, it’s safe to say that employers will continue to retain remote work setups for everyone. 

A recent study found that every employee who worked remotely has saved $1,900 for nine months. 

Many people switch to remote work and never look back. One finding is that most remote workers won’t consider working any other way for the rest of their careers, as 90% of them plan on working remotely for the rest of their lives! People who work remotely may be able to customize their workspace and style, making it easier for them to work in the way they prefer.

In essence, firms may increase employee retention rates by permitting remote work for teams. When team members depart for more fertile ground, they are no longer as concerned about the expenditure, interruption, and annoyance that may result. It’s time to get ready for the future of work and how much remote work will entail, as the advantages exceed the drawbacks.

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home

Now it’s time to explore the different college degrees that will help you land jobs with options for remote work from home. Here are some of them:

Business Administration

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - Business Administration

A business administration degree offers a comprehensive foundation of business knowledge, making it ideal for remote work environments. Graduates will get knowledge on how to launch businesses, enhance employee experiences, and communicate effectively. Numerous remote jobs in customer service, marketing, and human resources are made possible by this degree.

Business administration offers diverse subsets and fields. You can explore the areas of entrepreneurship, management, human resources, sales, marketing, operations, and so on. All of these can offer careers and job positions that allow you to work from home. 

Nonetheless, bear in mind that having a specialist in this area is crucial when it comes to working remotely. Consider the type of part that you would like to play. For instance, if you choose entrepreneurship, you may want to open an eCommerce business in order to operate and manage your business remotely. This won’t require you to be in your conventional store and office to generate sales and market to your customers. 

After having a business administration degree, here are other job positions that allow you to work remotely:

Information Technology

In addition to managing complex data management projects, creating databases, and maintaining or improving systems architecture, you can learn how to apply cybersecurity, develop databases, and more with a Bachelor of Science in Information Science degree. There are numerous specializations in information technology. All you have to do is match it to your goals and passion. 

For instance, you can concentrate on programming, software engineering, computer theory, data science, and more. This college degree allows you to earn a foundation to manage networks, design networks, and handle IT projects. All these roles allow you to work remotely from anywhere, as long as you’re equipped with internet and IT tools. 

Gaining experience as a paid professional may be crucial right after college, and some of these may need consistent attendance in an office setting. Nonetheless, a lot of full-time IT jobs allow employees to work from home occasionally. After several years of professional experience, some seasoned IT workers become independent consultants. These are independent contractors who typically operate from home. Professionals in the IT sector should all plan to update and improve their skill sets regularly to stay relevant.

English

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - English

If you love the English language, there are many careers to pursue in this field. It is not uncommon to work from home as a writer or journalist. Being a professional journalist or writer doesn’t necessarily require a college degree as long as you have competent writing skills.

However, earning a bachelor’s degree in this field will land you great projects and high positions. This is due to the possibility that, in order to succeed in this industry, you will need to generate high-quality articles or material quickly. In this college degree in English, you can pursue concentrations such as Journalism, Creative Writing, Mass Media, and Copywriting.

These days, a lot of writers provide content for blogs, marketing companies, and online media sites. Other specialists write books, technical manuals, textbooks, and print-based news or filler. Remote writers are hired anywhere, and you can even create your website and generate income by publishing articles and blogs online. Home-based writers may have the opportunity to work independently, although some full-time, salaried positions are available in this field. 

Graphic Design

If you’re a natural-born artist, but you’re also passionate about technology, you can combine these two fields and get a college degree in graphic design. A graphic design degree is required by some companies that need to create websites and offer their products visually.

Graduates will be adept in front-end web design, social networking, and creative software programs. If they want to employ or collaborate with graphic design talent, they should have prior experience leading as a creative director.

Students pursuing degrees in graphic design learn how to turn a client’s concepts into a visual masterpiece. These experts frequently modify the font and color elements in commercials, promotional materials, and creative works using Internet applications. To ensure they correctly explain the client’s desires, they can stay in touch with them by email or by making the trip to meet in person.

Overall, the best perk of this position is that you can work remotely. As long as you have good tech tools at home, you’re all good to produce the best graphic design materials for your clients or employer. 

Some other jobs that you can gain aside as a graphic design artist are:

Accountancy

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - Accountancy

One of the most in-demand positions in businesses today is accountant. A job in accounting or a related financial profession can be a fantastic fit for you if you’re a math buff. With a one-year certificate or an associate’s degree in a related field of study, you can start a career in this sector.

You can work from home as a bookkeeper or financial clerk with these lower educational levels. However, if you have higher qualifications and educational achievement, you can start launching your accounting firm, manage and accept more clients, or become a senior accountant in a large corporation. 

The field of accountancy offers numerous career pathways. A four-year degree in accounting may help you land a job as a certified public accountant (CPA) or in a related field. Some other positions are forensic accountant, financial advisor, forensic analyst, or environmental accountant are some more jobs that allow you to work flexibly and with good pay. 

Some work settings require face-to-face attendance, so it’s best to inquire earlier before applying for the position. However, practicing as a freelance accountant ensures that you work flexibly and remotely. Rather than working in an office, you can work from home. 

Early Childhood Education

If you love children and love helping build the future of societies, it’s worth exploring and entering the field of early childhood education. This is another career that allows you to work remotely. Due to the ongoing need for childcare and children experts, a career as an early childhood educator or provider can be rather promising. To conduct your job, you are not required to work in an educational environment. Much of the work that directors and leaders undertake may be done at a distance.

Depending on the city or town, there will always be children who will need to be educated early. With this information, you may create an age-appropriate curriculum and operate a preschool out of your house. Additionally, you might be able to provide kindergarten and elementary school pupils with online instruction, or you might start a tutoring program where primary students and their families come to your house to go over the material covered in class.

You can even work as an early childhood educator online. Some companies conduct classes online, as some parents prefer it for their kids. While an associate degree can help you jumpstart a career in this field, a bachelor’s degree is more advisable and competitive. 

Foreign Language

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - Foreign Language

Having the talent to learn multiple languages is a sure sign to make a living out of it. By enrolling in a foreign language, you have the option to choose to concentrate in any language of your choice. This can be Spanish, Japanese, French, Chinese, Arabic, and so on.  

An undergraduate degree makes you capable of speaking, reading, and writing another language fluently. There are many career options in the foreign language field. For instance, you can work as a remote translator for businesses or academic-related industries. You may be a freelancer tutor and teach international students to speak a second language of their choice. 

Obtaining a foreign language degree might lead to several remote career opportunities. While some foreign language translators translate written documents, others specialize in oral interpretation and frequently collaborate with others. Each of these position offer different salaries and opportunities for work, but what’s important is to make sure that you constantly update your skills and remain competitive in the ever-changing world of linguistics. It would also help to increase your credentials if you have certificates and additional licenses to teach in a foreign language. 

Data Science

Data science is crucial more than ever before. Using trends and empirical evidence, data science allows businesses to make better decisions across the organization by measuring performance through data collection. Graduates with a degree in data science are prepared with the technological know-how needed to analyze and comprehend massive data sets. In the context of remote work, graduates with experience in reporting and analytics are in great demand.

To maximize business performance, remote organizations need dashboards, statistical interpretation, and knowledge of “big data.” Some of the remote works available for data science graduates are data analysts, business development experts, data scientists, digital designers, financial analysts, computer programmers, information security analysts, and computer network architects.

Online bachelor’s degrees are typically required for most of these positions. It is necessary to have a solid knowledge of data science, programming, analytics, and computer science for these positions.

Web Design

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - Web Design

The US currently has more than 133 million websites. This number alone would tell you that pursuing a career in website design and development is very promising. New website designs are needed in addition to periodic re-designs or enhancements of existing websites.

In order to be an effective web designer, it’s important to finish a bachelor’s degree in web design. A degree in website design and development integrates technical, programming, artistic, database, and other elements into a holistic program.

To make sure you receive a well-rounded education while comparing programs, seek a degree plan that includes themes like internet security, mobile website design, online marketing, and more. This business is moving quickly, just like the IT sector. Aim for frequent opportunities for continuous education in this area.

Many web design graduates would pursue launching their own web design business or agency. They offer web design services to many businesses, employ many web designers and collaborate as a team. However, in order to develop a portfolio in this profession, you might need to work as a freelancer for a while before asking for paid employment. Nonetheless, a lot of prosperous independent contractors still operate from home.

Music

If you’re passionate about music, it’s worth pursuing a career in this field. Students with degrees in music are better able to learn certain instruments, composition, and theory. You can start teaching private music lessons out of your home or studio after receiving this degree. Becoming a songwriter is another possible job path that allows you to create creative music compositions or song lyrics while seated at a desk.

Aside from being a musician, you can become a music teacher and hold your classes online. These days, many students would love to learn instruments through online classes. Another option is to offer your services from your home. Children or adults can benefit from your knowledge by taking private lessons.

Many musicians pursue independent careers through live performances or gigging. Paying gigs for solo or group music performances can take place at special events like wedding receptions, small local venues, and other occasions. Composing songs is another profitable endeavor. Instead of concentrating on just one source of income, many musicians use their abilities in several capacities. You can multitask and execute many music gigs and careers all at once. 

Hospitality Management

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - Hospitality Management

Contrary to what some people expect, having a hospitality management degree actually allows you to work remotely.  Generally speaking, a 4-year degree in hospitality is required for a job in hotel management or administration. These are often full-time jobs where the employee works directly in a hotel, supervising day-to-day operations.

Nonetheless, short-term rentals are transforming the hospitality sector and making it possible for those with experience in this field to work remotely. The practice of short-term rentals is growing in popularity and may be quite profitable for property owners. However, you’ll need enough money to put down a sizable down payment on your first rental home.

If you have an extra property sitting idly, you can transform and renovate it into an Airbnb or for-rent home and be able to manage it remotely from anywhere you are. This is a good passive income, and you can hire a physical manager who can clean, replenish things, or maintain the property on your behalf.

Having a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management will prepare you for many positions in the field. Whether you are in charge of customer service, hotel operations, or paperwork, a degree will sustain your knowledge and skills. You can also build your portfolio for rental properties and become a manager for some real estate companies and firms.

Engineering

These days, a wide range of engineering work may be completed remotely. While there are many distinct career categories for engineers, software development and systems engineering are common areas for remote engineering work.

Engineering graduates create new goods and solutions for a range of sectors in addition to assisting businesses in solving technical issues. Depending on the technical path you take, if your employment requires you to use a computer for software development or 3D modeling, you may be able to work from home completely. Working with actual materials may necessitate spending a portion of the workweek on-site in certain engineering positions.

Computer Science

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - Computer Science

There are many computer and tech firms that are always hiring computer science experts. Be it in software, hardware, applications, and development, they would need programmers, designers, and developers. After graduating as a Computer Science major, you can work remotely through different job opportunities in the computer industry. 

If you want to be employed in businesses, you can work as a project manager or in the information technology department. Take note that not all of these positions necessitate formal expertise in computer science. A Computer Science degree can help in the domains of remote IT consulting and development project management.

Counseling

Individuals who pursue this field of study get knowledge on how to assess patients’ mental health and administer the proper care. Since some counselors choose to conduct sessions in their homes, counseling degrees are another excellent choice for working from home. In addition, a lot of counselors choose to work remotely by having virtual sessions with their clients.

One good and solid position in counseling is to become a remote mental health specialist. A mental health specialist who offers internet treatment and counseling is known as a remote therapist. They offer their services remotely instead of visiting clients in person at an office. They can speak with patients over the phone, through text, live chat, private message boards, video calls, or phone calls. A remote therapist frequently focuses on a certain kind of treatment, such as speech-language pathology, or on a specific kind of clientele.

Obtain a bachelor’s degree in a therapy-related discipline to get started on your professional path. You may study for a bachelor’s degree in social work, sociology, or psychology, for instance. You may obtain a solid foundation of knowledge for your work as a remote therapist with any one of these degrees. Take steps to get a license in the state in which you wish to practice after receiving your master’s degree. To practice lawfully, make sure you fulfill all licensure criteria set forth by your state.

Human Resources

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - Human Resources

Every business or industry needs someone who can manage all the team members and staff. Graduating from a human resources degree can land you a career in this field. Payroll processing, insurance form completion, performance evaluation completion, and facility maintenance are all part of your work. You will also handle grievances and concerns from the staff.

The good news is this position can be filled without you having to report physically to the office. If your company or employer executes a remote working style, this means that you can perform all your jobs and responsibilities remotely from anywhere. As long as you have a good Internet connection and exceptional HR skills, you’re good to go. 

Game Design

The gaming industry has in its an all-time high in recent years. Many gaming companies are in constant need of game designers and developers who have something creative to offer. Students can work remotely from home or create video games at work with a bachelor’s degree in game design. They get knowledge of interactive gaming, animation, art, and game design.

The most essential item you’ll need at home for this job is a computer with an internet connection and a lot of creativity. Additionally, you must be familiar with graphic design, programming, and art. In game design, some remote works you can land are animation, programming, web development, illustration, and video game production. 

Marketing

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - Marketing

Marketers are in constant demand among employers and businesses today. Businesses need them to generate good sales and reach their quota. Students pursuing a marketing degree learn how to advertise a business’s goods and services. You can find a remote job in the field of marketing as you create marketing strategies and implement them remotely with your team in the marketing department. 

Marketers can offer their services independently as contractors. This means you will not be committed to working full-time and accept multiple clients all at once. Graduates will gain knowledge in areas including paid advertising, community management, and market research. They will also be well-suited for roles in software, internal communications, professional services, and consulting.

Nutrition

As more and more Americans become health conscious, the need for nutritionists and dieticians arises. Dietitians and nutritionists advise clients to eat healthily in order to lead better lives. They assist with food, exercise, and losing weight. There are several areas of expertise available in this job.

Nutritionists typically hold a bachelor’s degree in nutrition, kinesiology, or exercise science. They require the will to assist others, a computer with internet access, and effective communication skills. Certification and licensure may also be necessary for this employment. You can also practice to be a freelancer nutritionist and offer your services flexibly to patients. 

Health

20 Best College Degrees for Remote Work from Home - Health

As more Americans enter their golden years of age, the demand for health professionals increases. Some people expect to physically report in clinics and hospitals when they enter the field of health. However, telehealth works differently. You can be assigned to transact online with patients, take care of medical billing, and do medical coding and transcriptions. All these won’t require you to work physically in the office. 

Education

If you love teaching, it’s a wonderful idea to enter the field of education. There are many opportunities to explore in this sector. An increasing number of educators are able to work remotely because of the growth of online learning. Some colleges provide courses fully or partially online, regardless of whether you work in K–12 or college education. 

You can be an online tutor, a language teacher, a K-12 teacher, or a special education teacher. It all depends on the subject that you want to teach. You can find different remote work opportunities as a licensed educator.

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