240 majors · federal data
College majors and what they pay
What do graduates of each major earn, and how much do they borrow? Compare 240 majors, then see every college that offers yours, ranked by what its own graduates earn.
Most popular majors
Business administration153,680 grads a year · $51,499 first yearNursing149,051 grads a year · $80,808 first yearPsychology118,365 grads a year · $37,365 first yearBiology82,327 grads a year · $37,396 first yearTeacher education by grade level50,982 grads a year · $44,454 first yearKinesiology and exercise science47,887 grads a year · $37,248 first yearFinance46,763 grads a year · $59,772 first yearComputer science45,941 grads a year · $73,872 first yearComputer and information sciences45,229 grads a year · $66,814 first yearCriminal justice44,945 grads a year · $42,486 first yearMarketing44,540 grads a year · $50,580 first yearCommunication43,255 grads a year · $42,087 first yearAccounting40,340 grads a year · $59,250 first yearPolitical science39,586 grads a year · $43,363 first yearLiberal arts and general studies37,969 grads a year · $42,487 first yearEconomics34,366 grads a year · $58,707 first yearMechanical engineering33,179 grads a year · $75,803 first yearEnglish26,136 grads a year · $36,946 first year
Highest-paying majors
Majors offered at 50 or more colleges, ranked by the typical program's median earnings four years after graduation.
| # | Major | 1 yr after | 4 yrs after | Median debt | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematics and Computer Science | $78,758 | $137,218 | $14,364 | 62 |
| 2 | Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | $58,376 | $123,320 | $18,145 | 70 |
| 3 | Pharmacy | $53,359 | $119,888 | $19,500 | 63 |
| 4 | Computer engineering | $82,309 | $105,871 | $20,803 | 326 |
| 5 | Computer science | $73,872 | $100,385 | $20,401 | 724 |
| 6 | Electrical engineering | $81,770 | $99,062 | $21,261 | 372 |
| 7 | Chemical engineering | $80,564 | $97,298 | $21,500 | 176 |
| 8 | Aerospace engineering | $78,794 | $96,728 | $21,377 | 73 |
| 9 | Industrial engineering | $78,634 | $95,835 | $20,812 | 120 |
| 10 | Biomedical engineering | $70,560 | $93,619 | $20,500 | 188 |
| 11 | Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | $75,492 | $93,214 | $20,500 | 58 |
| 12 | Construction Management | $74,870 | $91,947 | $19,772 | 81 |
| 13 | Materials Engineering | $77,204 | $91,046 | $20,500 | 59 |
| 14 | Mechanical engineering | $75,803 | $91,040 | $20,998 | 388 |
| 15 | Statistics | $68,279 | $90,778 | $16,958 | 187 |
| 16 | Engineering Physics | $71,186 | $90,465 | $24,435 | 102 |
| 17 | Engineering-Related Fields | $76,451 | $89,514 | $22,862 | 76 |
| 18 | Engineering, general | $71,355 | $88,063 | $22,917 | 189 |
| 19 | Nursing | $80,808 | $86,233 | $21,656 | 1,120 |
| 20 | Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $74,174 | $85,786 | $22,579 | 98 |
| 21 | Computer and information sciences | $66,814 | $85,782 | $20,743 | 785 |
| 22 | Applied mathematics | $62,989 | $85,233 | $20,292 | 239 |
| 23 | Civil engineering | $72,768 | $85,168 | $21,500 | 292 |
| 24 | IT and network administration | $62,584 | $84,595 | $23,500 | 339 |
| 25 | Business analytics and operations research | $66,865 | $83,820 | $20,500 | 310 |
| 26 | Real Estate | $62,450 | $83,592 | $20,367 | 55 |
| 27 | Information science | $66,740 | $82,989 | $23,163 | 230 |
| 28 | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $70,466 | $82,046 | $23,399 | 86 |
| 29 | Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | $44,209 | $81,617 | $25,000 | 56 |
| 30 | Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $67,044 | $81,562 | $20,624 | 93 |
All majors by area
Agriculture
- Agribusiness 122
- Agricultural Production Operations 52
- Agricultural Public Services 33
- Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services 26
- Agriculture, General 77
- Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs 25
- Animal science 96
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services 29
- Food Science and Technology 67
- Plant and soil science 79
- Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians 27
Architecture and planning
Area, ethnic and gender studies
Arts, design and performing arts
Biology and biomedical sciences
- Biochemistry and molecular biology 671
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other 56
- Biology 1,337
- Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology 70
- Biotechnology 85
- Botany/Plant Biology 33
- Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences 75
- Ecology and evolutionary biology 206
- Genetics 26
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology 107
- Neuroscience 286
- Physiology 135
- Zoology/Animal Biology 83
Business, management and marketing
- Accounting 1,084
- Business 350
- Business Operations Support and Assistant Services 22
- Business administration 1,441
- Business analytics and operations research 310
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other 72
- Business/Corporate Communications 44
- Business/Managerial Economics 201
- Construction Management 81
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations 272
- Finance 716
- General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations 66
- Hospitality management 230
- Human resources 347
- Insurance 43
- International business 335
- Management information systems 273
- Marketing 791
- Real Estate 55
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations 75
Communication and journalism
Communications technology
Computer and information sciences
Criminal justice, security and fire
Education
Engineering
- Aerospace engineering 73
- Agricultural Engineering 31
- Architectural Engineering 28
- Biomedical engineering 188
- Chemical engineering 176
- Civil engineering 292
- Computer engineering 326
- Construction Engineering 32
- Electrical and Computer Engineering 21
- Electrical engineering 372
- Engineering Physics 102
- Engineering Science 46
- Engineering, Other 46
- Engineering, general 189
- Environmental engineering 119
- Industrial engineering 120
- Manufacturing Engineering 28
- Materials Engineering 59
- Mechanical engineering 388
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering 32
- Nuclear Engineering 22
- Petroleum Engineering 25
- Systems Engineering 26
Engineering technology
- Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians 22
- Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians 50
- Construction Engineering Technology/Technician 58
- Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians 98
- Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians 37
- Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General 66
- Engineering-Related Fields 76
- Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians 21
- Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other 27
- Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians 93
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians 86
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians 29
English
Family and consumer sciences
Health professions
- Allied health (PA, radiography, therapy and more) 355
- Dental hygiene and assisting 82
- Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities 31
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 104
- Health administration 475
- Health professions, general 403
- Health/Medical Preparatory Programs 155
- Medical Illustration and Informatics 31
- Medical assisting 31
- Medical lab science 256
- Mental health counseling 90
- Nursing 1,120
- Nutrition and dietetics 118
- Pharmacy 63
- Physical and occupational therapy 228
- Public health 480
- Speech-language pathology 285
History
- History 1,195
Interdisciplinary studies
- Behavioral sciences 52
- Biological and physical sciences 104
- Biopsychology 23
- Classical and Ancient Studies 54
- Cognitive Science 60
- Computational Science 39
- Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis 23
- Data analytics 119
- Data science 148
- Geography and Environmental Studies 43
- Gerontology 33
- Human biology 31
- Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies 26
- Interdisciplinary studies, other 498
- International/Globalization Studies 304
- Mathematics and Computer Science 62
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies 25
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 285
- Natural Sciences 69
- Nutrition Sciences 107
- Peace and conflict studies 52
- Science, Technology and Society 37
- Sustainability Studies 122
Languages and linguistics
- American Sign Language 47
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 223
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 141
- Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other 28
- Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 235
- Linguistics 305
- Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 57
- Romance languages 764
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 100
Law and legal studies
Liberal arts and humanities
Mathematics and statistics
Military technologies
Natural resources and conservation
Personal and culinary services
Philosophy and religious studies
Physical sciences
Psychology
Public administration and social work
Recreation, fitness and kinesiology
Social sciences
Theology
Transportation
Not sure yet? Take the major quiz.
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest-paying college major?
Among majors offered at 50 or more colleges, Mathematics and Computer Science had the highest typical earnings four years after graduation: $137,218 a year.
What is the most popular college major?
Business administration, with 153,680 bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023-24 at the colleges in our data.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field of study file, data release of October 15, 2026. Earnings are medians for graduates who received federal aid and were working, not enrolled. One-year figures: graduates of 2020-21 and 2021-22, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Four-year figures: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. More on the data.