Colleges

College Majors Ranked by Earnings

143 bachelor's majors, ranked by what graduates earn four years after finishing. Each figure is the median across the colleges that report it, from federal data. Pick a major to see every college that offers it.

Rank	Major	Median earnings, 4 years out	Colleges reporting	Degrees a year
1	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration	$120,923	22	2,569
2	Computer Engineering	$105,853	170	11,756
3	Computer Science	$100,055	327	41,921
4	Electrical Engineering	$99,172	239	15,253
5	Chemical Engineering	$97,298	150	8,935
6	Aerospace Engineering	$96,728	58	6,181
7	Industrial Engineering	$95,835	87	5,196
8	Biomedical/Medical Engineering	$93,619	112	8,809
9	Construction Management	$93,340	45	2,859
10	Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	$93,214	36	2,753
11	Materials Engineering	$91,047	30	1,305
12	Mechanical Engineering	$91,040	310	33,547
13	Statistics	$90,778	45	5,311
14	Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	$90,152	60	7,017
15	Engineering-Related Fields	$89,154	30	1,561
16	Engineering	$87,280	44	2,604
17	Computer and Information Sciences	$87,190	362	39,165
18	Applied Mathematics	$85,792	37	4,561
19	Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods	$85,717	111	11,545
20	Agricultural Engineering	$85,267	24	933
21	Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	$85,224	29	979
22	Civil Engineering	$85,133	221	14,254
23	Nursing	$84,588	751	106,867
24	Real Estate	$84,558	23	1,985
25	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians	$82,574	48	2,199
26	Information Science/Studies	$81,480	100	9,161
27	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	$81,446	43	1,989
28	Management Information Systems	$81,424	128	7,141
29	Air Transportation	$81,394	45	6,065
30	Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering	$80,775	41	1,910
31	Business/Managerial Economics	$80,212	76	4,673
32	Economics	$79,468	365	35,785
33	Physics	$79,158	101	7,664
34	Engineering Technologies/Technicians	$78,801	29	1,523
35	Finance	$77,590	418	46,683
36	International Business	$74,145	101	5,268
37	Accounting	$73,873	710	38,109
38	Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions	$73,420	80	3,745
39	Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services	$72,761	26	2,249
40	Public Policy Analysis	$71,723	29	2,389
41	Mathematics	$70,679	298	19,149
42	Food Science and Technology	$70,571	27	1,078
43	Allied Health	$69,490	181	6,557
44	Dental Support Services and Allied Professions	$68,556	55	1,716
45	Human Resources	$67,731	152	8,425
46	Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	$67,638	28	4,612
47	Architecture	$67,191	56	3,790
48	Marketing	$66,333	481	42,788
49	International Relations	$66,180	111	7,997
50	Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences	$66,017	49	3,743
51	Chemistry	$65,983	199	13,150
52	Agricultural Business and Management	$65,891	68	4,683
53	Homeland Security	$65,579	24	1,926
54	Public Administration	$65,547	42	2,276
55	Non-Professional Legal Studies	$65,460	27	2,973
56	Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	$65,366	49	3,020
57	Biochemistry and Molecular Biology	$65,301	106	11,957
58	Business Administration	$65,025	998	131,144
59	Business/Commerce	$64,343	192	21,999
60	Biological and Physical Sciences	$62,858	30	2,360
61	Urban Studies/Affairs	$62,807	23	860
62	Health/Medical Preparatory Programs	$62,543	36	3,314
63	Public Relations and Advertising	$62,194	170	15,109
64	Political Science	$61,915	547	40,640
65	Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations	$61,801	64	3,923
66	Neurobiology and Neurosciences	$61,799	65	11,359
67	Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	$61,309	49	7,174
68	Health Administration	$60,740	179	10,208
69	Nutrition Sciences	$60,562	44	3,433
70	Geology and Earth Science	$60,027	127	4,954
71	Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences	$60,004	136	17,634
72	Computer Software and Media Applications	$59,768	28	3,246
73	Public Health	$59,276	166	17,766
74	Communication Disorders Sciences and Services	$58,587	209	10,984
75	Forestry	$58,499	31	1,056
76	Area Studies	$58,245	65	3,606
77	Security Science and Technology	$57,773	42	3,120
78	Biology	$57,717	828	83,394
79	Geography and Cartography	$57,677	103	3,362
80	Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations	$57,245	31	1,404
81	Apparel and Textiles	$57,124	47	2,144
82	Philosophy	$56,812	83	7,346
83	Plant Sciences	$56,448	44	1,993
84	Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services	$56,375	40	1,906
85	International/Globalization Studies	$56,294	80	4,977
86	Research and Experimental Psychology	$56,282	69	18,032
87	Romance Languages	$56,189	212	9,376
88	Hospitality Management	$56,143	125	7,389
89	Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services	$55,804	62	2,203
90	Criminology	$55,520	108	9,214
91	Environmental Science and Conservation	$54,957	251	16,777
92	Legal Support Services	$54,895	25	747
93	Criminal Justice	$54,880	534	42,560
94	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	$54,804	172	19,050
95	Social Sciences	$54,311	24	1,384
96	Communications	$54,257	603	42,988
97	Journalism	$54,081	173	9,965
98	Design	$53,884	250	17,169
99	Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	$53,631	26	1,381
100	Kinesiology and Exercise Science	$53,294	577	46,670
101	Agriculture	$52,932	41	1,897
102	Social Sciences	$52,308	80	5,494
103	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	$52,155	74	3,765
104	Sociology	$52,125	439	25,461
105	Liberal Arts	$51,897	401	34,590
106	Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	$51,872	95	4,911
107	East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	$51,826	23	1,283
108	Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies	$51,708	49	6,662
109	Social Work	$51,670	410	19,336
110	Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions	$51,490	37	2,502
111	Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology	$51,082	52	3,417
112	Special Education and Teaching	$50,897	161	7,923
113	Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services	$50,749	88	4,811
114	Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies	$50,667	50	1,853
115	History	$50,592	440	23,489
116	Subject-Area Teacher Education	$50,458	329	18,003
117	Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management	$50,020	46	1,691
118	Psychology	$49,969	924	113,518
119	Ecology and Evolutionary Biology	$49,758	55	4,460
120	Animal Sciences	$49,646	74	7,246
121	Education	$49,225	51	6,687
122	English Language and Literature	$49,023	545	26,505
123	Human Services	$48,834	70	4,986
124	Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	$48,767	40	2,506
125	Broadcasting and Digital Media	$48,753	137	10,497
126	Bible/Biblical Studies	$48,516	21	1,248
127	Teacher Education	$47,730	627	47,352
128	Human Development and Family Studies	$47,390	137	9,533
129	Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences	$47,273	40	1,986
130	Writing	$47,141	113	5,629
131	Education	$46,850	22	1,452
132	Religion/Religious Studies	$46,736	32	4,320
133	Anthropology	$45,920	177	8,183
134	Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management	$45,445	35	1,633
135	Film and Photography	$45,423	129	11,120
136	Graphic Communications	$43,858	42	2,843
137	Music	$43,388	247	14,163
138	Zoology/Animal Biology	$42,694	40	2,586
139	Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries	$41,979	21	884
140	Studio Art	$41,784	395	22,877
141	Visual and Performing Arts	$41,129	53	3,630
142	Dance	$40,845	56	2,490
143	Theater	$39,980	240	11,843

Frequently asked questions

What are the highest paying college majors?

Four years after graduation, the highest medians are in Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration ($120,923), Computer Engineering ($105,853), Computer Science ($100,055), Electrical Engineering ($99,172), Chemical Engineering ($97,298).

What are the lowest paying college majors?

The lowest medians four years out are in Theater ($39,980), Dance ($40,845), Visual and Performing Arts ($41,129), Studio Art ($41,784), Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries ($41,979). These are early-career figures, four years after a bachelor's degree.

What are the most popular college majors?

By bachelor's degrees awarded at the colleges we track, the largest are Business Administration, Psychology, Nursing, Biology, Teacher Education.

Where do these earnings figures come from?

The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which links graduates to tax records. It covers only graduates who received federal financial aid, and it leaves out small programs to protect privacy, so the figure for a major is the median of the colleges that report one.

Source: College Scorecard, Most Recent Data by Field of Study (U.S. Department of Education), 2026-06-10 release. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal financial aid, working and not enrolled, four years after completing a bachelor's degree.