It has been a stressful couple of years for college students. An unstable economy has led many students to second-guess their investments in higher education, and fear regarding employment prospects after graduation are common among today's students.

Graduates who majored in fields of study that are more recession-proof than others could have decided advantages over students who went with other majors. Knowing which careers are still going strong and which have stalled can help college students with goals of finding a career with growth potential.

• Financial analysts and managers: Many forecasts indicate jobs in finance will continue to remain strong with high growth. Despite financial ups and downs, people still need to be educated on how and where to spend their money. Students with degrees in finance and marketing may have advantages over others.

• Engineers: Engineers apply the principles of science and mathematics to develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between scientific discoveries and the commercial applications that meet societal and consumer needs. Many different fields require engineers, from mechanical and civil industries to electrical and chemical industries. Engineering remains a strong course of study with many different subsets for specialization.

• Networking/systems administration: With the world revolving around computers, jobs in the systems administration field remain viable. Keep in mind that there is also a wide array of competition in these careers, but the ability to make high salaries is what drives many to pursue careers in networking and computer systems administration.

• Accounting: Similar to other financial careers, accounting jobs remain stable despite the uncertain economy. Where there is money to be spent, individuals and businesses will require the services of accountants to keep all of their accounts in check. Entry-level accountants can receive in-house promotions and become finance executives.

• Nursing/medical careers: Jobs in healthcare continue to be strong as well. An aging population keeps nurses, doctors, aides and medical-supply companies in business. There are many different nursing specializations, making nursing an attractive career choice.

• Software design and development: Keeping today's digital world running requires a staff of people constantly updating and creating new software. From games to business applications to all of those entertaining apps downloaded each day, software designers pave the way for computer innovation.

• Salespeople: Sales is one of the oldest and longest-running types of occupations available. Every industry needs quality sales professionals to meet with the public and drive interest in products and services. There are sales positions in just about every industry.

• Educators: The Millenial generation is just as large as the Baby Boom generation, and children will continue to fill up classrooms across the world. It is estimated three million more teachers are needed by 2015 to fill openings in the United States alone. Also, initiatives to require Pre-K classes could increase the number of education jobs even further.

• Computer information security: The need to protect personal information from those who want to exploit it continues to grow. Computer information security will continue to increase with the expansion of technological applications.