College Majors — Salary, ROI & Career Guide

Compare salary potential, return on investment, and career outcomes for 121+ college majors. Find the best degree for your goals and budget.

121+
Majors Analyzed
11
Categories
$52K
Avg Starting Salary
4.9 yrs
Avg ROI Payback

Agriculture

(4 majors)

Agricultural Science

Bachelor's

$48K starting

4 yr ROI

Forestry & Natural Resources

Bachelor's

$45K starting

4.5 yr ROI

Animal Science

Bachelor's

$42K starting

5 yr ROI

Veterinary Technology

Bachelor's

$38K starting

4.5 yr ROI

Arts & Design

(10 majors)

UX Design

Bachelor's

$70K starting

3.2 yr ROI

Architecture

Bachelor's

$52K starting

5.5 yr ROI

Animation & Game Design

Bachelor's

$55K starting

4.8 yr ROI

Industrial Design

Bachelor's

$55K starting

4.8 yr ROI

Graphic Design

Bachelor's

$48K starting

5.5 yr ROI

Interior Design

Bachelor's

$42K starting

5.8 yr ROI

Fashion Design

Bachelor's

$40K starting

6.5 yr ROI

Film & Media Studies

Bachelor's

$38K starting

7.5 yr ROI

Fine Arts

Bachelor's

$35K starting

9 yr ROI

Photography

Bachelor's

$35K starting

8.5 yr ROI

Business

(14 majors)

Finance

Bachelor's

$65K starting

3.5 yr ROI

Economics

Bachelor's

$60K starting

4 yr ROI

Information Systems

Bachelor's

$65K starting

3.3 yr ROI

Supply Chain Management

Bachelor's

$60K starting

3.5 yr ROI

Operations Management

Bachelor's

$58K starting

3.8 yr ROI

Accounting

Bachelor's

$58K starting

3.8 yr ROI

Real Estate

Bachelor's

$52K starting

4 yr ROI

Business Administration

Bachelor's

$55K starting

4.2 yr ROI

International Business

Bachelor's

$52K starting

4.5 yr ROI

Marketing

Bachelor's

$52K starting

4.5 yr ROI

Management

Bachelor's

$52K starting

4.5 yr ROI

Entrepreneurship

Bachelor's

$48K starting

5 yr ROI

Human Resources

Bachelor's

$50K starting

4.5 yr ROI

Hospitality Management

Bachelor's

$45K starting

5.5 yr ROI

Communications

(6 majors)

Technical Writing

Bachelor's

$55K starting

3.5 yr ROI

Advertising

Bachelor's

$45K starting

5 yr ROI

Digital Media

Bachelor's

$48K starting

4.8 yr ROI

Public Relations

Bachelor's

$45K starting

5 yr ROI

Communications

Bachelor's

$45K starting

5.2 yr ROI

Journalism

Bachelor's

$40K starting

6 yr ROI

Education

(8 majors)

Instructional Design & Technology

Bachelor's

$55K starting

3.8 yr ROI

Educational Psychology

Bachelor's

$44K starting

5 yr ROI

Higher Education Administration

Bachelor's

$42K starting

5.2 yr ROI

Elementary Education

Bachelor's

$42K starting

5 yr ROI

Special Education

Bachelor's

$43K starting

4.8 yr ROI

Music Education

Bachelor's

$40K starting

6 yr ROI

Physical Education

Bachelor's

$40K starting

5 yr ROI

Early Childhood Education

Bachelor's

$35K starting

6 yr ROI

Engineering

(14 majors)

Petroleum Engineering

Bachelor's

$85K starting

2.5 yr ROI

Computer Engineering

Bachelor's

$80K starting

3 yr ROI

Chemical Engineering

Bachelor's

$78K starting

3.2 yr ROI

Nuclear Engineering

Bachelor's

$75K starting

3.3 yr ROI

Electrical Engineering

Bachelor's

$75K starting

3.3 yr ROI

Aerospace Engineering

Bachelor's

$73K starting

3.5 yr ROI

Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's

$72K starting

3.5 yr ROI

Mining Engineering

Bachelor's

$72K starting

3 yr ROI

Materials Science & Engineering

Bachelor's

$70K starting

3.8 yr ROI

Biomedical Engineering

Bachelor's

$68K starting

4 yr ROI

Industrial Engineering

Bachelor's

$70K starting

3.5 yr ROI

Civil Engineering

Bachelor's

$65K starting

3.8 yr ROI

Environmental Engineering

Bachelor's

$62K starting

4.2 yr ROI

Construction Management

Bachelor's

$62K starting

3.2 yr ROI

Healthcare

(14 majors)

Pharmacy

Bachelor's

$75K starting

3.5 yr ROI

Health Informatics

Bachelor's

$58K starting

3.8 yr ROI

Nursing

Bachelor's

$65K starting

3.2 yr ROI

Healthcare Administration

Bachelor's

$52K starting

4 yr ROI

Occupational Therapy

Bachelor's

$62K starting

3.8 yr ROI

Dental Hygiene

Bachelor's

$60K starting

3 yr ROI

Speech-Language Pathology

Bachelor's

$55K starting

4.2 yr ROI

Public Health

Bachelor's

$48K starting

5.2 yr ROI

Radiologic Technology

Bachelor's

$58K starting

3 yr ROI

Health Sciences

Bachelor's

$45K starting

5.5 yr ROI

Nutrition & Dietetics

Bachelor's

$48K starting

5 yr ROI

Respiratory Therapy

Bachelor's

$55K starting

3 yr ROI

Kinesiology

Bachelor's

$42K starting

6 yr ROI

Exercise Science

Bachelor's

$40K starting

6.5 yr ROI

Humanities

(12 majors)

Linguistics

Bachelor's

$48K starting

5.5 yr ROI

Philosophy

Bachelor's

$42K starting

6.5 yr ROI

Foreign Languages & Literatures

Bachelor's

$42K starting

6.5 yr ROI

English

Bachelor's

$40K starting

7 yr ROI

History

Bachelor's

$40K starting

7.5 yr ROI

Classics

Bachelor's

$38K starting

8 yr ROI

Art History

Bachelor's

$38K starting

7.5 yr ROI

Creative Writing

Bachelor's

$38K starting

8 yr ROI

Religious Studies

Bachelor's

$38K starting

7.5 yr ROI

Gender Studies

Bachelor's

$38K starting

8 yr ROI

Music

Bachelor's

$35K starting

9 yr ROI

Theater & Drama

Bachelor's

$32K starting

10 yr ROI

STEM

(24 majors)

Computer Science

Bachelor's

$85K starting

2.8 yr ROI

Software Engineering

Bachelor's

$82K starting

2.7 yr ROI

Data Science

Bachelor's

$78K starting

3 yr ROI

Actuarial Science

Bachelor's

$72K starting

3 yr ROI

Cybersecurity

Bachelor's

$75K starting

3 yr ROI

Applied Mathematics

Bachelor's

$68K starting

3.5 yr ROI

Statistics

Bachelor's

$68K starting

3.5 yr ROI

Physics

Bachelor's

$60K starting

4.5 yr ROI

Mathematics

Bachelor's

$62K starting

4.2 yr ROI

Information Technology

Bachelor's

$65K starting

3.2 yr ROI

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Bachelor's

$55K starting

5 yr ROI

Cognitive Science

Bachelor's

$58K starting

4.8 yr ROI

Biotechnology

Bachelor's

$55K starting

4.8 yr ROI

Astronomy

Bachelor's

$52K starting

5.5 yr ROI

Chemistry

Bachelor's

$52K starting

5.5 yr ROI

Biochemistry

Bachelor's

$48K starting

5.8 yr ROI

Geology

Bachelor's

$50K starting

5 yr ROI

Neuroscience

Bachelor's

$48K starting

6 yr ROI

Biomedical Science

Bachelor's

$47K starting

5.8 yr ROI

Geographic Information Science

Bachelor's

$52K starting

4.5 yr ROI

Food Science

Bachelor's

$50K starting

4.5 yr ROI

Biology

Bachelor's

$45K starting

6 yr ROI

Environmental Science

Bachelor's

$45K starting

6.5 yr ROI

Marine Biology

Bachelor's

$40K starting

7.5 yr ROI

Social Sciences

(12 majors)

International Relations

Bachelor's

$48K starting

5 yr ROI

Political Science

Bachelor's

$45K starting

5.5 yr ROI

Urban Planning

Bachelor's

$48K starting

5 yr ROI

Geography

Bachelor's

$45K starting

5.5 yr ROI

Forensic Science

Bachelor's

$48K starting

4.8 yr ROI

Sustainability Studies

Bachelor's

$44K starting

5.8 yr ROI

Psychology

Bachelor's

$42K starting

6 yr ROI

Criminal Justice

Bachelor's

$42K starting

5 yr ROI

Sociology

Bachelor's

$40K starting

6.5 yr ROI

Anthropology

Bachelor's

$38K starting

7 yr ROI

Social Work

Bachelor's

$42K starting

5 yr ROI

Archaeology

Bachelor's

$38K starting

7.5 yr ROI

How to Choose a College Major

Choosing a college major is one of the most significant financial decisions you will make. The right major can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars more in lifetime earnings and a faster return on your education investment. DegreeCalc analyzes real salary data, employment rates, and tuition costs to help you make an informed decision.

STEM majors like Computer Science, Engineering, and Data Science consistently show the strongest ROI, with payback periods under 3 years and high mid-career salaries. Healthcare majors such as Nursing and Physical Therapy offer excellent job security and above-average starting salaries. Business majors provide versatility across industries, while Arts and Humanities degrees offer lower starting salaries but strong long-term career flexibility.

Related Tools

Degree ROI Calculator →Student Loan Calculator →GPA Calculator →College Cost by State →Scholarship Calculator →All Calculators →