Left Brain or Right Brain? Find Your Career Style

Summary:
Discover whether you’re more creative or analytical with this left vs. right brain quiz for teens. Learn how your thinking style connects to future careers and explore pre-college courses designed to match your strengths, whether you thrive in logic, creativity, or both.

Key Points:

• Take the Left Brain vs. Right Brain Quiz to identify your dominant thinking style.
• Learn how brain type influences ideal college majors and career paths.
• Explore recommended pre-college courses from top universities tailored to analytical, creative, or balanced thinkers.
• Balanced students can discover interdisciplinary careers that blend creativity and strategy.

Are You More Creative or Analytical? Let’s Find Out.

You’ve probably heard it before, some people are left-brained, others are right-brained. It’s a popular way to describe whether someone is more analytical and logical (left brain) or creative and intuitive (right brain). While the science behind brain dominance is more metaphor than fact, the idea still helps us understand the way we think, solve problems, and even choose our future careers.

If you’re a high school student unsure about what to do after graduation, understanding how you naturally approach the world is a great place to start. And the best part? You can explore both sides of your brain before college through online pre-college courses.

Career Paths Based on Your Results

Understanding your dominant thinking style can help you explore careers that feel natural and energizing. Here’s a breakdown of left-brained vs. right-brained strengths and the pre-college programs that can help you explore them.

Note: Some courses may appeal to more than one thinking style. For example, psychology might involve both analytical research and emotional insight, making it a great fit for left-brained, right-brained, or balanced thinkers depending on the course design. We encourage students to explore freely across categories. You might be surprised where your interests take you.

Left-Brained Thinkers – Analytical and Logical

If you're someone who loves structure, numbers, and systems, these careers might be a great fit:

• Engineering
• Finance
• Law
• Medicine
• Data Science

Try these courses to explore left-brained strengths:

• Dartmouth – Finance: Investing & Market Insights  
  Learn how markets work, how to analyze data, and how to think like an investor.
• Rice University – The Business of Economics
  Study the principles of economic systems and decision-making through a real-world lens.
• Northwestern University – Law: From Interview to Argument
  Train your logical reasoning and argumentation skills while diving into how legal professionals think.
• Harvard Medical School – The Future MD Pack
  Take rigorous courses in biochemistry, pharmacology, genetics, and physiology—all designed by Harvard Medical School faculty.
• Case Western Reserve University – Engineering: From 2D Sketch to 3D Model
  Explore the fundamentals of engineering design and spatial reasoning in this hands-on course.
• Georgetown University – Cybersecurity: Protecting Our Digital Future
  Strengthen problem-solving skills and system-level thinking in a course built around digital protection and national security.
• University of Rochester – Biomedical Engineering: Solving the Body’s Challenges with Technology
  Merge biology, medicine, and engineering to create innovations that solve complex health issues.
• William & Mary – Constitutional Law: We the People
  Examine the structure of U.S. government and legal systems while engaging in debate and discourse.

Right-Brained Thinkers – Creative and Intuitive

If you're someone who thrives in imagination, storytelling, or expression, consider creative and human-centered fields like:

• Communications
• Journalism & Media
• Writing
• Psychology
• Design

Try these courses to develop your right-brain potential:

• Georgetown University – Creative Writing: The Power of Storytelling
  Learn to write, revise, and craft narratives across genres in a highly creative and expressive format. Also with an option to earn college credit!
• Parsons Paris – Inside Fashion Design: Becoming a Designer for the 21st Century
  Unleash your artistic instincts through design thinking, fashion history, and sketching.
• Rice University – Psychology in Our Everyday Lives
  Understand how psychology connects to real-world experiences from behavior and relationships to mental health and decision-making. 
• Dartmouth College – Psychology: Explore the Mind & Mental Wellness
  Gain insight into how psychologists approach problems and promote wellness in today’s world. Ideal for future therapists, counselors, or anyone curious about human behavior.
• University of Rochester – Intro to Video Game Design
  Bring characters and stories to life using design tools and game development software.
• Georgetown University – Journalism and Media in the Digital Age
  Explore how the media shapes public opinion and learn how to craft persuasive stories and content.

Balanced Thinkers – Creative and Analytical

Some students don’t lean heavily one way or the other. That itself is a strength. If you’re a natural blend of logical reasoning and creative flair, look for interdisciplinary careers that require flexibility, strategy, and expression.

Balanced thinkers often thrive in:

• Entrepreneurship
• Public Policy
• Product Design
• Medicine (with patient-facing roles)
• Business & Strategy

Courses that support a balanced brain profile:

• Rice University – Entrepreneurship: From Ideas to Impact in FinTech
  Combine innovation with business planning and real-world financial literacy.
• Georgetown University – Leadership: Motivate, Inspire, and Persuade
  Blend communication, ethics, strategy, and team dynamics in this leadership course.
• Case Western Reserve University – Social Entrepreneurship: The Business of Helping Others
  Learn how to design scalable solutions to social challenges—equal parts logic and heart.
• Georgetown University – Marketing: Discover the Power of Marketing
  Learn how creative messaging, consumer behavior, and brand storytelling intersect in real-world campaigns. Also with an option to earn college credit!
• Rice University – International Relations: Dynamics of Global Political Change
  Dive into real-world political issues while sharpening both critical thinking and persuasive communication skills.
• Wake Forest – Psychology: The Mystery and Science of Human Behavior
  Explore both the scientific and empathetic sides of understanding human thought and behavior.

Explore Pre-College Courses Based on Your Brain Type

Whether you’re creative, analytical, or somewhere in the middle, understanding your personal strengths is the first step toward building a future that fits. At Prelum.org, we make it easy to explore real career paths, try out new interests, and gain confidence in your direction before you have to commit. Whatever your brain type, there’s a course (and a future) waiting for you.

Browse all pre-college courses by subject.

Last reviewed by Ashley Simmons on 12/15/2025.