Sorted by fastest ROI payback. Sources: BLS Occupational Employment Statistics + College Scorecard + PayScale.
| # | Major | Category | Payback | Starting | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prompt Engineering | STEM | 1.5yr | $50,000 | $1.5M |
| 2 | Business Analytics | Business | 2yr | $78,000 | $1.3M |
| 3 | Computational Linguistics | STEM | 2yr | $95,000 | $1.5M |
| 4 | Petroleum Engineering | Engineering | 2.5yr | $50,000 | $1.3M |
| 5 | Architectural Engineering | Engineering | 2.5yr | $78,000 | $1.2M |
| 6 | Software Engineering | STEM | 2.7yr | $88,000 | $1.2M |
| 7 | Computer Science | STEM | 2.8yr | $85,000 | $1.2M |
| 8 | Data Science | STEM | 3yr | $82,000 | $1.1M |
| 9 | Cybersecurity | STEM | 3yr | $80,000 | $1.1M |
| 10 | Actuarial Science | STEM | 3yr | $50,000 | $1.1M |
| 11 | Computer Engineering | Engineering | 3yr | $50,000 | $1.1M |
| 12 | Mining Engineering | Engineering | 3yr | $50,000 | $880K |
| 13 | Dental Hygiene | Healthcare | 3yr | $50,000 | $520K |
| 14 | Radiologic Technology | Healthcare | 3yr | $50,000 | $500K |
| 15 | Respiratory Therapy | Healthcare | 3yr | $50,000 | $450K |
| 16 | Robotics Engineering | STEM | 3yr | $50,000 | $1.1M |
| 17 | Ceramic Engineering | Engineering | 3yr | $75,000 | $1.0M |
| 18 | Climate Science | STEM | 3yr | $72,000 | $100K |
| 19 | Agricultural Business | Agriculture | 3yr | $52,000 | $600K |
| 20 | Cosmetic Science | STEM | 3yr | $68,000 | $50K |
| 21 | Cartography | STEM | 3yr | $62,000 | $100K |
| 22 | Cell Biology | STEM | 3yr | $72,000 | $1.2M |
| 23 | Astrophysics | STEM | 3yr | $85,000 | $1.5M |
| 24 | Information Technology | STEM | 3.2yr | $70,000 | $850K |
| 25 | Chemical Engineering | Engineering | 3.2yr | $82,000 | $1.1M |
| 26 | Construction Management | Engineering | 3.2yr | $50,000 | $800K |
| 27 | Nursing | Healthcare | 3.2yr | $68,000 | $700K |
| 28 | UX Design | Arts & Design | 3.2yr | $50,000 | $900K |
| 29 | Electrical Engineering | Engineering | 3.3yr | $80,000 | $1.0M |
| 30 | Nuclear Engineering | Engineering | 3.3yr | $50,000 | $1.0M |
| 31 | Information Systems | Business | 3.3yr | $50,000 | $880K |
| 32 | Statistics | STEM | 3.5yr | $72,000 | $900K |
| 33 | Applied Mathematics | STEM | 3.5yr | $50,000 | $950K |
| 34 | Mechanical Engineering | Engineering | 3.5yr | $78,000 | $950K |
| 35 | Aerospace Engineering | Engineering | 3.5yr | $80,000 | $980K |
| 36 | Industrial Engineering | Engineering | 3.5yr | $75,000 | $900K |
| 37 | Finance | Business | 3.5yr | $70,000 | $950K |
| 38 | Supply Chain Management | Business | 3.5yr | $50,000 | $800K |
| 39 | Pharmacy | Healthcare | 3.5yr | $50,000 | $950K |
| 40 | Technical Writing | Communications | 3.5yr | $50,000 | $580K |
| 41 | Paralegal Studies | Legal Studies | 3.5yr | $50,000 | $400K |
| 42 | Criminology | Social Science | 3.5yr | $52,000 | $500K |
| 43 | Athletic Training | Health | 3.5yr | $52,000 | $500K |
| 44 | Civil Engineering | Engineering | 3.8yr | $68,000 | $850K |
| 45 | Materials Science & Engineering | Engineering | 3.8yr | $50,000 | $900K |
| 46 | Accounting | Business | 3.8yr | $62,000 | $750K |
| 47 | Operations Management | Business | 3.8yr | $50,000 | $720K |
| 48 | Occupational Therapy | Healthcare | 3.8yr | $50,000 | $550K |
| 49 | Health Informatics | Healthcare | 3.8yr | $50,000 | $700K |
| 50 | Instructional Design & Technology | Education | 3.8yr | $50,000 | $580K |
| 51 | Biomedical Engineering | Engineering | 4yr | $72,000 | $850K |
| 52 | Economics | Business | 4yr | $65,000 | $850K |
| 53 | Real Estate | Business | 4yr | $50,000 | $700K |
| 54 | Healthcare Administration | Healthcare | 4yr | $50,000 | $600K |
| 55 | Homeland Security | Legal Studies | 4yr | $50,000 | $500K |
| 56 | Agricultural Science | Agriculture | 4yr | $50,000 | $480K |
| 57 | Game Design & Development | Arts & Technology | 4yr | $50,000 | $700K |
| 58 | Chinese Studies | Humanities | 4yr | $55,000 | $200K |
| 59 | Aquatic Biology | Science | 4yr | $52,000 | $200K |
| 60 | Communication Studies | Social Science | 4yr | $52,000 | $800K |
| 61 | Cinematography | Arts | 4yr | $55,000 | $100K |
| 62 | Conservation Biology | Science | 4yr | $52,000 | $120K |
| 63 | Mathematics | STEM | 4.2yr | $65,000 | $800K |
| 64 | Environmental Engineering | Engineering | 4.2yr | $65,000 | $750K |
| 65 | Business Administration | Business | 4.2yr | $58,000 | $650K |
| 66 | Speech-Language Pathology | Healthcare | 4.2yr | $50,000 | $480K |
| 67 | Physics | STEM | 4.5yr | $62,000 | $750K |
| 68 | Geographic Information Science | STEM | 4.5yr | $50,000 | $500K |
| 69 | Food Science | STEM | 4.5yr | $50,000 | $480K |
| 70 | Marketing | Business | 4.5yr | $55,000 | $600K |
| 71 | Management | Business | 4.5yr | $56,000 | $600K |
| 72 | Human Resources | Business | 4.5yr | $50,000 | $500K |
| 73 | International Business | Business | 4.5yr | $50,000 | $600K |
| 74 | Forestry & Natural Resources | Agriculture | 4.5yr | $50,000 | $380K |
| 75 | Veterinary Technology | Agriculture | 4.5yr | $50,000 | $200K |
| 76 | Botany | Science | 4.5yr | $52,000 | $150K |
| 77 | Biotechnology | STEM | 4.8yr | $50,000 | $650K |
| 78 | Cognitive Science | STEM | 4.8yr | $50,000 | $650K |
| 79 | Forensic Science | Social Sciences | 4.8yr | $50,000 | $400K |
| 80 | Animation & Game Design | Arts & Design | 4.8yr | $50,000 | $520K |
| 81 | Industrial Design | Arts & Design | 4.8yr | $50,000 | $520K |
| 82 | Special Education | Education | 4.8yr | $50,000 | $300K |
| 83 | Digital Media | Communications | 4.8yr | $50,000 | $450K |
| 84 | Geology | STEM | 5yr | $50,000 | $520K |
| 85 | Pharmaceutical Sciences | STEM | 5yr | $50,000 | $700K |
| 86 | Entrepreneurship | Business | 5yr | $50,000 | $550K |
| 87 | Nutrition & Dietetics | Healthcare | 5yr | $50,000 | $350K |
| 88 | International Relations | Social Sciences | 5yr | $50,000 | $480K |
| 89 | Social Work | Social Sciences | 5yr | $50,000 | $280K |
| 90 | Criminal Justice | Social Sciences | 5yr | $50,000 | $350K |
| 91 | Urban Planning | Social Sciences | 5yr | $50,000 | $420K |
| 92 | Elementary Education | Education | 5yr | $50,000 | $280K |
| 93 | Physical Education | Education | 5yr | $50,000 | $250K |
| 94 | Educational Psychology | Education | 5yr | $50,000 | $380K |
| 95 | Public Relations | Communications | 5yr | $50,000 | $420K |
| 96 | Advertising | Communications | 5yr | $50,000 | $450K |
| 97 | Pre-Law / Legal Studies | Legal Studies | 5yr | $50,000 | $550K |
| 98 | Animal Science | Agriculture | 5yr | $50,000 | $350K |
| 99 | Africana Studies | Humanities | 5yr | $42,000 | $400K |
| 100 | Public Health | Healthcare | 5.2yr | $50,000 | $420K |
| 101 | Higher Education Administration | Education | 5.2yr | $50,000 | $350K |
| 102 | Communications | Communications | 5.2yr | $46,000 | $380K |
| 103 | Chemistry | STEM | 5.5yr | $55,000 | $550K |
| 104 | Astronomy | STEM | 5.5yr | $50,000 | $500K |
| 105 | Hospitality Management | Business | 5.5yr | $50,000 | $400K |
| 106 | Health Sciences | Healthcare | 5.5yr | $50,000 | $380K |
| 107 | Linguistics | Humanities | 5.5yr | $50,000 | $380K |
| 108 | Political Science | Social Sciences | 5.5yr | $48,000 | $400K |
| 109 | Geography | Social Sciences | 5.5yr | $50,000 | $350K |
| 110 | Graphic Design | Arts & Design | 5.5yr | $48,000 | $380K |
| 111 | Architecture | Arts & Design | 5.5yr | $58,000 | $480K |
| 112 | Sports Management | Business | 5.5yr | $50,000 | $500K |
| 113 | Biochemistry | STEM | 5.8yr | $50,000 | $480K |
| 114 | Biomedical Science | STEM | 5.8yr | $50,000 | $440K |
| 115 | Sustainability Studies | Social Sciences | 5.8yr | $50,000 | $340K |
| 116 | Interior Design | Arts & Design | 5.8yr | $50,000 | $300K |
| 117 | Biology | STEM | 6yr | $48,000 | $400K |
| 118 | Neuroscience | STEM | 6yr | $50,000 | $450K |
| 119 | Kinesiology | Healthcare | 6yr | $50,000 | $300K |
| 120 | Psychology | Social Sciences | 6yr | $44,000 | $320K |
| 121 | Early Childhood Education | Education | 6yr | $50,000 | $180K |
| 122 | Music Education | Education | 6yr | $50,000 | $250K |
| 123 | Journalism | Communications | 6yr | $44,000 | $280K |
| 124 | Classical Studies | Humanities | 6yr | $45,000 | $150K |
| 125 | Environmental Science | STEM | 6.5yr | $50,000 | $350K |
| 126 | Exercise Science | Healthcare | 6.5yr | $50,000 | $250K |
| 127 | Philosophy | Humanities | 6.5yr | $44,000 | $300K |
| 128 | Foreign Languages & Literatures | Humanities | 6.5yr | $50,000 | $280K |
| 129 | Sociology | Social Sciences | 6.5yr | $44,000 | $250K |
| 130 | Fashion Design | Arts & Design | 6.5yr | $50,000 | $250K |
| 131 | English | Humanities | 7yr | $42,000 | $220K |
| 132 | Anthropology | Social Sciences | 7yr | $50,000 | $200K |
| 133 | Marine Biology | STEM | 7.5yr | $50,000 | $250K |
| 134 | History | Humanities | 7.5yr | $44,000 | $200K |
| 135 | Religious Studies | Humanities | 7.5yr | $50,000 | $150K |
| 136 | Art History | Humanities | 7.5yr | $50,000 | $170K |
| 137 | Archaeology | Social Sciences | 7.5yr | $50,000 | $180K |
| 138 | Film & Media Studies | Arts & Design | 7.5yr | $50,000 | $200K |
| 139 | Creative Writing | Humanities | 8yr | $50,000 | $150K |
| 140 | Classics | Humanities | 8yr | $50,000 | $160K |
| 141 | Gender Studies | Humanities | 8yr | $50,000 | $130K |
| 142 | Photography | Arts & Design | 8.5yr | $50,000 | $120K |
| 143 | Music | Humanities | 9yr | $40,000 | $100K |
| 144 | Fine Arts | Arts & Design | 9yr | $50,000 | $100K |
| 145 | Theater & Drama | Humanities | 10yr | $40,000 | $80K |
ROI Payback = (Total Tuition + Living + Foregone Wages) / (Annual Salary − Cost of Living − 7.5% Loan Interest) · via DegreeCalc College Majors ROI