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• We examine effects of the 1970s and 1980s energy boom and bust on college majors. • We focus on petroleum engineering and geology as energy industry related majors. • The energy boom increased the prevalence of energy-related majors. • The energy bust lowered the prevalence of energy-related majors. • Effects are particularly strong for young people born in energy intensive states. This paper examines how college students in the United States altered their college majors during the energy boom and bust of the 1970s and 1980s. We focus on petroleum engineering and geology, two majors closely related to the energy industry. We find strong evidence that the energy boom increased the prevalence of these two energy-related majors and the energy bust lowered the prevalence of these majors. Effects are particularly strong for young people born in energy intensive states. Thus, college major decisions responded to industry fluctuations with important location-specific effects consistent with frictions to migration and information flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]