At 17, Spanish students are expected to make a decision that can shape their adult lives: what to study at university. For many, family expectations and social stigma weigh alongside job-market realities, sometimes eclipsing personal passion. The Ministry of Science, New idea and Universities reports that 22.1% of students in the 2021-2022 first-year cohort did not continue in their initial degree after one year. That figure captures an early change in educational trajectory, not necessarily permanent withdrawal from education.
Many students say external pressures, rather than genuine interest, shaped their university choice. Fears about limited job opportunities in certain fields, especially the humanities, and a lack of meaningful career guidance can push young people toward degrees that do not fit their strengths or aspirations. Disillusionment can set in during the first months of university, when students discover their studies do not match their interests. The decision is made in a system where students commonly choose a field near the end of upper-secondary education, before they have had much exposure to university-level study or professional work.
Switching Degrees: A Common Reality
Ministry figures divide the 22.1% who left their initial degree after the first year into 9% who changed degree and 13.1% who left the Spanish university system. The categories describe different outcomes: changing programmes means continuing in higher education, while leaving the university system during the period measured does not establish that a student will never return or pursue another educational route. The figures should so be read as measures of early progression, not as a count of permanent educational failure.
Personal stories show how these decisions unfold. María Domínguez initially enrolled in Chemistry, believing it would be easier, but soon discovered in a biology class that the subject did not resonate with her. She switched to Physics, where she finally found a sense of purpose. Manuel Doval left Architecture despite passing his courses, feeling that the field simply was not right for him. After moving to Physics, he felt confident he had made the right decision.
The Weight of Stigma and Expectations
For students like Ana Osle, the stigma attached to humanities degrees is hard to ignore. Although she was drawn to the arts, she chose Industrial Engineering because she excelled in science and math. “How could I paint when I could study Mathematics?” she recalls thinking. After struggling and failing courses, she transferred to English Studies at the Complutense University of Madrid, where she found a better fit. Natàlia Bohórquez also started in Industrial Engineering, influenced by the belief that it would guarantee employment, but later switched to Journalism. In hindsight, she says she would return to engineering, acknowledging that changing degrees does not always resolve underlying uncertainty.
OECD analysis has found that tertiary graduates generally have stronger employment and earnings outcomes than people without higher-education qualifications. A World Economic Forum summary of OECD data put the average earnings premium at 56% for graduates compared with people without a university degree. Such averages help explain the pressure to prioritize job prospects, but they do not guarantee a particular career or mean that one field is right for every student. Outcomes also depend on the subject and region. Occupation and work experience matter, as does how closely a person’s training matches their work.
Degree changes are most common in Sciences (12.4%) and Engineering and Architecture (10.8%), followed by Arts and Humanities (9%) and Social Sciences (8.1%). The figures reflect the tension between personal interests and perceived job security. Lower average demand in some humanities-related occupations does not make those degrees categorically unemployable: graduates may find work in public service or cultural industries, including teaching and communications, where transferable skills matter.
Guidance Gaps and the Role of Grades
Many students report receiving little or no professional guidance before enrolling. Recommendations were often based solely on high school grades: students strong in math were steered toward engineering, with little attention to their broader interests or career goals. Ana Cobos, president of the Confederation of Organizations for Psychopedagogy and Guidance in Spain, argues that effective counseling should connect personal strengths and aspirations with academic options and labor-market realities, instead of simply listing degrees and job prospects.
Spain’s education pathways add to the pressure. OECD analysis describes a system in which a relatively high share of adults has tertiary education while a large group does not complete upper-secondary or vocational education. For families, university can so appear to be the basic route to social mobility, while other choices may carry stigma. That context can make a change of degree feel like a personal setback, even when it reflects a considered adjustment after a student gains new information about a subject or career.
Changing Course Without Shame
Family reactions can add another layer of stress. Manuel Doval remembers his parents’ initial disappointment when he switched degrees, though they eventually supported his decision. Others found their families more understanding from the start, easing feelings of guilt or failure. Cobos says leaving a degree that does not fit is not a defeat; it is a necessary step to avoid years spent pursuing the wrong path. Changing courses can bring frustration and academic costs, but it can also prevent deeper dissatisfaction later on.
The challenge of balancing family expectations and personal ambition extends beyond university. In fields such as aviation, family legacy and career choices often intersect, as in the story of a Vueling captain and his daughter, who both became pilots, a dynamic explored in this look at generational career decisions.
As Spain continues to debate how best to support young people at this critical crossroads, the evidence points to the value of guidance that combines educational fit with a clear picture of student progression and employment. It should also explain earnings and vocational alternatives. A single ranking of degrees by prestige or headline job prospects cannot capture the differences between students or labour markets. For now, choosing what to study at 17 remains one of the most complex and consequential decisions Spanish families face.
