If 2020 were a movie, it would be a nail-biting thriller. The kind of movie that is rife with twists and turns. But 2020 has been as real as it can get. And despite all of the unforeseen events that unfolded this year, people have shown that they can be resourceful, resilient and innovative.
In fact, while the year posed many challenges, it also led to the adoption of new habits and trends. One of these was the explosion of online learning during 2020. While millions of people around the world lost their jobs, many also decided to upskill themselves to prepare for the post-Covid world.
At Udacity, we witnessed a surge in the enrollment for our Nanodegree programs in 2020. These trends not only show the interest areas of our learners but also the trends that will guide the job market. Keeping this in mind, we decided to share some of these trends with you.
We looked at the enrollment data from Jan 1, 2020 to Dec 10, 2020 in the States, and found the top five Nanodegree programs from eight states that have the highest number of enrollments in 2020. Here’s what we found:
California is Big on Data
The state of California is known as the home to the Silicon Valley. It’s a home for some of the largest tech organizations and most innovative startups in the world. Some of the most popular companies situated in California include Apple, Concentrix, Google, Walt Disney and more. The five most popular Nanodegree programs are:
- Data Structures & Algorithms
- Full-Stack Web Development
- Data Analysis
- Product Management
- Data Engineering
New York Loves Web Development
New York is home to Silicon Alley where some of the popular tech companies including Slack, Adobe, Square, Facebook, Twitter have offices. Check out this list of the most popular Nanodegree programs in New York:
- Full-Stack Web Development
- Data Structures & Algorithms
- Data Analysis
- Front End Web Development
- Deep Learning
New Jersey Also Digs Data
Data seems to be a popular skill in New Jersey. And why not, it’s a home to some large international firms like Cognizant, Capgemini, Bausch and Lomb, Johnson & Johnson and more. Here are the top Nanodegree programs in the state:
Texas Takes Programming by The Horns
Texas is another state known for growing job opportunities in the field of technology. In fact several companies, such as Tesla and Oracle have just decided to relocate their headquarters to this state. Some additional top tech companies that you can target in Texas are Dell, AT&T, Google and more. Here’s a list of the top Nanodegree programs in this state that will help you become attractive to Texas tech companies:
Illinois Focused on Deep Learning and Development
With tech companies like Boeing, CDW, USRobotics and more, the opportunities to work in tech are boundless. The most popular Nanodegree programs for Illinois in 2020 include:
- Full-Stack Web Development
- Deep Learning
- Front-End Web Development
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Data Engineering
Washington Produces More Engineers and Programmers
Washington is another state popular among tech enthusiasts especially because of the opportunities offered in the city of Seattle. With companies like Amazon, Microsoft, SAP, Expedia and more there seems to be several opportunities here. Here are the most popular Nanodegree programs in the state of Washington:
- Data Engineering
- Full-Stack Web Development
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Programming
- Product Management
Florida Dives Into Digital Marketing
If you’re looking for relevant job opportunities in the “Sunshine State” with companies like Citrix Systems, the Hackett Group, MasTech then check out these popular Nanodegree programs that can get you into these companies:
Virginia is for Learners
This state is home to major companies like CACI International, Leidos Holding Inc, Orbital ATK. The following most popular Nanodegree programs in that state can help people get a foot in the door of these corporations:
- Data Engineering
- Data Structures and Algorithms
- Full-Stack Web Development
- Machine Learning
- Programming for Data Science
These are some of the most popular skills of 2020 and can be considered as the foundation ground for the upcoming year.
The future demands digital skills. Check out our complete list of Nanodegree programs and transform your career.
