The careers defining the next decade

Preparing graduates for industries seeking skilled talent

By Lisa Robbins, ASU News
August 20, 2026

Data points to a changing economy. By 2035, the field of quantum computing is expected to generate $1.3 trillion to $2.7 trillion in global economic impact. Health care roles like nurse practitioners — recently named the “hottest” job in health care by The Wall Street Journal — and speech-language pathologists are projected to grow at several times the national average through 2034 and beyond.

Meanwhile, demand for specialized engineering professionals in the industrial, mechanical and aerospace sectors continues to rise as industries seek talent.

The business world is rapidly evolving as well. By 2035, millions of small-business owners are expected to retire. This once-in-a-generation wave will create opportunities for other generations to take over those businesses and represent as much as $5 trillion in combined market value, according to the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility.

In addition, Wells Fargo’s 2026 Money Study reported that 74% of Gen Zers who are not current business owners want to own a business one day.

Related content

See the summer 2026 ASU Thrive jobs forecast.

ASU is responding with degree programs that help students develop the skills they need to thrive in a future-focused workforce.

Jobs by the numbers

4.8x
the national average job growth rate projected for speech-language pathologists by 2034

134,000
new nurse practitioner jobs projected in the U.S. by 2034

12 million
projected jobs tied to businesses that baby boomers will sell by 2035

$1.3 trillion to $2.7 trillion
in global economic impact generated by quantum computing by 2035

3.5x
the national average job growth rate projected for industrial engineers by 2034

2.9x
the national average job growth rate projected for mechanical engineers by 2034

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, McKinsey & Company, Health Resources & Services Administration

Programs to get you there

  • MS in entrepreneurship and innovation, BS in entrepreneurship
  • MS and BSE in industrial engineering
  • MS and BSE in mechanical engineering
  • MS in aerospace engineering, BSE in aerospace engineering (aeronautics)
  • MS in communication disorders, BS in speech and hearing science
  • MS in auditory and language neuroscience
  • Doctor of Nursing Practice, MSN and BSN in nursing

Learn more at degrees.asu.edu.

Testimonials

“One thing that definitely made (the communication disorders program) stand out is the fact that we get to work with real clients during our first semester.”
– Qiao Zheng Goh, ’25 MS in communication disorders, speech-language pathologist at Scottsdale Unified School District

“(The entrepreneurship and innovation) program put me in a room with the people who I’d go on to build a real business with.”
– Sam Case, ’25 BA in business (communication), ’26 MS in entrepreneurship and innovation, founder and CEO of Syntherly

This story originally appeared on ASU News.