This is what you should study at university if you want to be a billionaire

Alison Millington

  • Research from a recruitment agency suggests you're more likely to become a billionaire if you pick the right subject at university.

  • Of the 100 richest people in the world, 75 have a degree, and 22 of these people studied engineering.

  • 19% of the 100 richest people also started out in a sales job after university.

If you want to be a billionaire, you'd be well served by studying engineering at university or taking a job as a salesperson.

This is according to research from British recruitment agency Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment, which examined Forbes' list of the 100 richest people in the world to reveal what they studied, their first job, and how rich they became.

The report found that 75 of the world's richest 100 people have a degree, and out of these 75, 22 studied engineering.

Fifty-three of the top 100 also started working in a non-family owned business, with 19% starting in a salesperson role and 17% starting as a stock trader.

Meanwhile, 17% of the world's top 100 billionaires started their careers by setting up their own business.

RELATED: Check out the highest-paying jobs you can get without a degree:

These were the top five degrees amongst the world's billionaires:

1. Engineering — 22

2. Business — 16

3. Finance & Economics — 11

4. Law — 6

5. Computer Science — 4

And these were their five most common first jobs:

1. Salesperson — 10

2. Stock trader — 9

3. Software developer — 5

4. Engineer — 5

5. Analyst — 4

Rob Scott, managing director at Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment, said: "Today we are seeing that nearly all of the top people in business are graduates and that a degree can be a great first-step into preparing you for your career ahead."

More from Business Insider:
The 10 most critical problems in the world, according to millennials
This is the future of the £200 million BGF Ventures fund — which just lost 3 partners
Ford just revealed the city where it plans to build its self-driving car program

NOW WATCH: A company makes furniture that lets you store your bike indoors

Advertisement