Best Bachelor's Degree for CEO: What Should You Study First?

Ever notice how some CEOs took the business route while others started out in engineering, or even something totally random like philosophy? Turns out, there’s no magic bachelor’s degree that guarantees you the top spot, but trends definitely show up. Picking your major is less about a secret formula, more about what strengths you’ll bring when you eventually run the show—and how much hustle you’ve got outside class.

Here’s a fact: according to a LinkedIn study that tracked Fortune 500 CEOs, the top undergrad majors weren’t just business or economics. Engineering degrees shot to the top, with business and economics right behind. Weirdly enough, plenty of CEOs have backgrounds in everything from English to computer science. So if you’re stressing about what to study, think more about what you can do with your major, not just what’s written on the diploma.

• What CEOs Actually Studied
• Why Your Bachelor's Degree Matters (and When It Doesn't)
• Top Degrees That Stand Out for Future CEOs
• Pairing Your Degree with the Right Skills
• Building a CEO Path: Tips Beyond the Classroom

What CEOs Actually Studied

If you think every CEO picked business for their undergrad, think again. When LinkedIn dug through the alma maters of Fortune 500 leaders, the surprise wasn’t just which schools popped up—it was their majors. Sure, business degrees were everywhere. But engineers actually took first place. More than a third of these top dogs got started with engineering degrees, whether that’s electrical, mechanical, or industrial.

Business, economics, and even accounting majors took solid spots too, but you also see outliers like computer science or political science. Jeff Bezos? He earned a degree in electrical engineering and computer science. Mary Barra, GM’s CEO, studied electrical engineering. Sundar Pichai at Google? Metallurgical engineering. But then you get someone like Howard Schultz of Starbucks, who studied communications, or Brian Chesky of Airbnb, who has a fine arts background.

What does this say for you? There’s way more than one "best" starting point. The top common thread isn’t the major—it’s the drive to lead and solve problems. That’s why you’ll find the best degree for CEO isn’t just about business, but about learning to think big, handle challenges, and build skills beyond textbooks.

• Engineering majors get noticed for problem-solving and managing teams.
• Business majors understand finance, marketing, and what makes a company tick.
• Liberal arts grads sometimes become creative, people-focused CEOs.

If you’re aiming high, the stats say go ahead and follow your interest. It’s less about picking the “right” subject and more about what you do with it.

Why Your Bachelor's Degree Matters (and When It Doesn't)

Picking a major feels like a huge decision, especially when you’re dreaming of becoming a CEO. The truth is, your bachelor’s degree can give you a solid starting point, but it’s not the only thing that gets you that corner office.

Here’s what actually matters: certain degrees give you head starts, like business, economics, or engineering—these teach you hard-hitting skills used at the top, such as strategic thinking, decision-making, and number crunching. In a 2023 Harvard Business Review study, over 35% of Fortune 500 CEOs had an engineering background, and about 25% had a degree in business or economics. Take a look at the numbers:

But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking it’s all about your undergraduate certificate. People who become CEOs usually get there by building experience, gaining trust, and showing they can think differently. Sure, if you want to run a tech company, a computer science background helps. If your eyes are on Wall Street, finance or economics won’t hurt. But plenty of stories show folks with arts or science degrees still breaking into the C-suite, thanks to grit or unique perspectives.

Also, you can cover skill gaps later. That’s why so many top execs go for an MBA—business schools love students who bring something fresh, not just more of the same. The lesson? Your specific best degree for CEO isn’t written in stone. Pick something you’re willing to deep-dive into, stick with it, and find ways to keep learning outside class. The degree opens a door, but you’re the one who walks (or sprints) through it.

Top Degrees That Stand Out for Future CEOs

If you look at the resume of any Fortune 500 CEO, you’ll start spotting some common degrees. It’s not just business (though that’s pretty popular). Here’s where things get really interesting—lots of top execs actually majored in engineering, which is not what most people expect when thinking about top business leaders.

Let’s look at some real data. In a study tracking the academic backgrounds of Fortune 500 CEOs in 2023, these majors showed up most often:

Engineering stands out because it builds problem solving and analytical skills—stuff every CEO needs, especially if they’re leading a tech-heavy company. Business administration and economics teach finance, leadership, and market thinking. You’ll notice some CEOs break the mold with degrees in the arts or social sciences, usually because they got really good at communicating and thinking in creative ways.

If you want a safer bet, business or economics lays out the basics: accounting, organizational behavior, and leadership. But if you want to stand out, going for best degree for CEO might mean picking what you love, then stacking on real-world experience. Steve Jobs (Apple) took calligraphy, Satya Nadella (Microsoft) started with electrical engineering, and Ginni Rometty (former IBM CEO) studied computer science and electrical engineering. Point is, the path isn’t fixed.

• Engineering: Makes your mind sharp for tough decisions. Also, lots of global CEOs started here.
• Business/Economics: Direct pipeline to upper management. Teaches you how money, markets, and people move.
• Computer Science: Huge for tech companies—think Google, Meta, and startups.
• Liberal Arts: Not common, but great for communication and critical thinking. Great for CEOs in media or creative industries.

Whatever you pick, pair it with real leadership experience while still in school—run a group, start a project, do internships. The right degree opens doors, but what you do with it pushes you through them.

Pairing Your Degree with the Right Skills

You could have the shiniest degree out there, but if you don't have the real-life skills that CEOs actually use, your diploma won't take you very far. No one's running a company with just textbook knowledge. The best move? Blend what you studied with hands-on skills that bosses really care about.

First up, leadership isn’t just for business majors. Engineers, econ grads, and even art history folks—if you can rally a team, turn awkward feedback into results, and make choices when the heat is on, you've got CEO material. Big companies love leaders who hear different voices and still keep everyone pointed in the same direction.

Communication skills are another must. You might be great at data or design, but if you can’t sell your ideas or break down complex stuff for regular people, moving up gets tricky. A 2023 Harvard Business Review survey found that over 70% of CEOs said clear, honest communication is what kept their teams together during tough times.

Don’t forget problem-solving and decision-making chops. CEOs don’t get time-outs to Google every answer—they’re constantly choosing between messy options and dealing with fallout. Tackling real projects, internships, or case competitions in college is the fastest way to practice making decisions when the info is fuzzy.

• Take on leadership roles early: Run a club, organize an event, or start something from scratch—doesn’t matter what, as long as you’re in charge of people or results.
• Tweak your class projects so you’re solving real-world problems, not just acing multiple choice tests.
• Jump into internships or side gigs that put you in the action. Companies remember people who actually get things done, not just those with a high GPA.

So while the best degree for CEO might give you some tools, it’s what you build on top of it—those leadership and people skills—that really get you moving up. Mixing classroom stuff with practical experience is the combo winners always talk about.

Building a CEO Path: Tips Beyond the Classroom

The truth? What you do outside your lectures often matters just as much as—if not more than—your actual major. CEOs rarely just coasted through standard coursework; they were usually busy building up real-world skills, leading something, or tackling problems bigger than essays. If you want the corner office, you can’t just ace tests and call it a day.

• Best degree for CEO aside, hands-on leadership matters. Take on roles in student government, clubs, or even small startups. Mark Cuban ran his own disco party business in college, because he saw a need and just went for it. These stories aren’t rare at the top.
• Internships are gold. Glassdoor says over 80% of Fortune 500 CEOs had at least one major internship. Even if it’s unpaid, it shows you can work in professional settings and actually care to learn how things really happen beyond textbooks.
• Networking early pays off. Don’t wait until you’re about to graduate. Sift through alumni lists, attend business talks, and use LinkedIn shamelessly. The right contact can get you into rooms a GPA never will.
• Sharpen your communication. CEOs aren’t shy with their ideas. Grab chances to speak publicly, pitch ideas, or even write for your campus paper. Being understood means you’re more likely to lead.
• Fail and learn, fast. Many CEOs flopped on their way up. Jeff Bezos once tried to start a news-by-fax business—total flop. But the lessons from these experiments taught resilience, which you won’t get from passing every test.

Check out some data showing what today’s CEOs took on during their college years:

So yeah, your degree lays down the basics, but these out-of-class moves are where you actually start acting like a future CEO. The earlier you start testing yourself in real scenarios, the easier it is to stand out later when you go for that big job or hop into an MBA program.