Columbia
Columbia Majors
Columbia awards bachelor's degrees in 57 fields, about 2,872 a year. The largest are Computer Science, Economics, Political Science.
| Major | Degrees a year | Earnings, 1 year out | Earnings, 4 years out | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 391 | $118,636 | $188,265 | $20,397 |
| Economics | 360 | $83,135 | $137,710 | $25,000 |
| Political Science | 232 | $61,077 | $100,245 | $22,943 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 166 | $53,156 | $86,946 | $20,500 |
| History | 152 | $53,828 | $98,079 | $22,000 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 89 | $33,893 | $70,244 | $27,000 |
| English Language and Literature | 87 | $35,838 | $59,396 | $25,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 75 | $72,036 | $111,491 | $16,960 |
| Philosophy | 75 | $52,668 | $56,885 | $20,062 |
| Sociology | 70 | $58,541 | $101,536 | $31,000 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 69 | $46,535 | $26,971 | |
| Area Studies | 64 | $41,479 | $96,884 | $22,486 |
| Applied Mathematics | 60 | $91,559 | ||
| Sustainability Studies | 59 | $53,957 | $85,545 | $18,070 |
| Mathematics | 58 | $117,252 | ||
| Biology | 57 | $40,935 | $53,698 | $19,892 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 54 | $62,895 | $19,500 | |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 53 | |||
| Operations Research | 50 | $110,457 | $167,572 | |
| Statistics | 45 | |||
| Studio Art | 41 | $51,435 | $26,853 | |
| Social Sciences | 37 | $34,845 | $65,085 | $26,000 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 36 | $55,206 | $55,472 | $18,799 |
| Writing | 33 | $36,244 | $47,702 | |
| Electrical Engineering | 31 | $84,019 | $143,332 | $12,000 |
| Anthropology | 29 | $83,493 | $34,500 | |
| Computer Engineering | 28 | $102,083 | $194,365 | |
| Civil Engineering | 27 | $108,246 | ||
| Romance Languages | 26 | $54,327 | $20,250 | |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 26 | |||
| Physics | 26 | |||
| Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 22 | |||
| Chemical Engineering | 20 | $55,154 | ||
| Geology and Earth Science | 20 | $34,658 | $21,065 | |
| Architecture | 17 | |||
| Music | 16 | $32,924 | ||
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 15 | |||
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 15 | |||
| Information Science/Studies | 13 | |||
| Chemistry | 12 | |||
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 12 | |||
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 11 | |||
| Engineering Physics | 9 | |||
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 9 | |||
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 9 | |||
| Theater | 9 | |||
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | 8 | |||
| Materials Sciences | 7 | |||
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 6 | |||
| Liberal Arts | 6 | $99,679 | ||
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | 6 | |||
| Data Science | 6 | |||
| Environmental Science and Conservation | 5 | |||
| Industrial Engineering | 5 | |||
| Religion/Religious Studies | 4 | |||
| Cognitive Science | 2 | |||
| Dance | 2 |
A blank cell means the figure is withheld, usually because the program is small.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most popular majors at Columbia?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in a year: Computer Science (391), Economics (360), Political Science (232), Research and Experimental Psychology (166), History (152).
Which Columbia majors earn the most?
Four years after graduation, the highest median earnings are in Computer Engineering ($194,365), Computer Science ($188,265), Operations Research ($167,572), Electrical Engineering ($143,332), Economics ($137,710). Earnings are reported for 24 of Columbia's 57 programs.
How many majors does Columbia have?
Columbia awarded bachelor's degrees in 57 federal program categories in the most recent year reported. A college's own list of majors can be longer or shorter, because several named majors often fall under one federal category.
Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release. Programs are federal categories, which do not always match the names Columbia uses. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, four years after a bachelor's degree, and are withheld for small programs.
