Colleges With the Highest-earning Graduates for 25 Popular Degrees

Nirat.pix // Shutterstock

Colleges with the highest-earning graduates for 25 popular degrees

Benjamin Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest," though most Americans would now disagree when it comes to higher education. Fewer than 1 in 4 (22%) of adults in the United States think college is worth its price, even if the person has to take out loans, according to a 2024 Pew Research Center survey. About 43 million Americans—roughly 12% of the population—still carry federal student loan debt.

Calculating the return on investment for higher education is more crucial than it was before the 2008 recession. An Education Data Initiative analysis shows that the cost of tuition has increased by more than a third between 2010 and 2023, when the typical investment for a bachelor's degree, including tuition, room and board, and student loan interest, was $255,217. On average, it takes 11 years on the job to make up for the cost of a bachelor's degree.

At a time when some companies no longer require bachelor's degrees as a job requirement, and young men are increasingly opting out of higher ed, for those who do want to go down the conventional route, ROI calculations can differ greatly. Stacker analyzed Department of Education data for cost-conscious college hopefuls to identify public and private nonprofit four-year colleges that produced the highest-earning graduates for the 25 most popular undergraduate majors in the U.S.

The analysis shows that the choice of major is one of the biggest variables in calculating ROI, ranging from $54,263 in earnings five years after graduation for social work to $298,018 for computer and information sciences, despite newer struggles to find work during the AI boom.

Another variable is the kind of degree. The smallest jump in ROI between degree levels is a 16% jump from bachelor's to master's, whereas there is a 41% gain in weekly earnings between an associate's and a bachelor's degree.

Debt burden also varies significantly between schools: First-year earnings can vary by $80,000 for graduates of the same degree and major who went to different schools, according to a Georgetown University report.

You may also like: Computer science has gone mainstream in US education, yet young women are still underrepresented

Entrance gate at dusk at the University of North Dakota.

1 / 25

Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

#25. Social work: University of North Dakota

-- Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $49,695 (35% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $54,263 (10% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $26,000

Aerial view of The University of Texas at Austin.

2 / 25

Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#24. Business/commerce: The University of Texas at Austin

-- Location: Austin, Texas
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $94,041 (76% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: Not available
-- Median student debt at college: Not available

Exterior of the iconic Duke University Chapel.

3 / 25

Wirestock Creators // Shutterstock

#23. Mathematics: Duke University

-- Location: Durham, North Carolina
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $121,088 (130% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $131,658 (80% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $13,000

Columbia University Library buildings with columns and dome.

4 / 25

Dmitrii Sakharov // Shutterstock

#22. Fine and studio arts: Columbia University in the City of New York

-- Location: New York
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $51,435 (104% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $55,731 (33% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $26,853

5 / 25

Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock

#21. Multi/interdisciplinary studies: University of the Pacific

-- Location: Stockton, California
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $104,803 (134% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $182,091 (217% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $15,500

You may also like: 10 ways COVID changed American schools

Baker-Berry Library on the campus of Dartmouth College.

6 / 25

Jay Yuan // Shutterstock

#20. History: Dartmouth College

-- Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $61,127 (85% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $95,866 (77% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $19,000

Dartmouth Hall on the Dartmouth campus in Hanover.

7 / 25

Spiroview Inc // Shutterstock

#19. Sociology: Dartmouth College

-- Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $64,377 (86% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $74,367 (37% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $19,250

Sunny view of the Healy Hall of Georgetown University.

8 / 25

Kit Leong // Shutterstock

#18. English language and literature: Georgetown University

-- Location: Washington D.C.
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $52,122 (71% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $78,299 (57% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $16,500

A view of the fountain in front of the Beckman Institute building at California Institute of Technology

9 / 25

The Image Party // Shutterstock

#17. Computer science: California Institute of Technology

-- Location: Pasadena, California
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $173,344 (99% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: Not available
-- Median student debt at college: Not available

A summer view of the University of Pennsylvania campus.

10 / 25

SINITAR // Shutterstock

#16. Computer and information sciences: University of Pennsylvania

-- Location: Philadelphia
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $146,204 (104% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $298,016 (219% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $15,000

You may also like: With student loan forgiveness programs in limbo, here's how some borrowers may find relief

California Maritime Academy Campus with palm trees, bridge and training boat.

11 / 25

Jeff Cleveland // Shutterstock

#15. Mechanical engineering: California State University Maritime Academy

-- Location: Vallejo, California
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $92,315 (31% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $114,735 (11% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $19,690

Aerial view of Henry Dunster House at Harvard University.

12 / 25

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#14. Economics: Harvard University

-- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $103,993 (77% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $161,251 (74% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $6,617

13 / 25

Spiroview Inc // Shutterstock

#13. Political science and government: Dartmouth College

-- Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $72,618 (88% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $101,103 (50% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $17,500

14 / 25

eskystudio // Shutterstock

#12. Liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

-- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $103,135 (173% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: Not available
-- Median student debt at college: $11,935

Benjamin Franklin statue in front of College Hall on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

15 / 25

Jay Yuan // Shutterstock

#11. Marketing: University of Pennsylvania

-- Location: Philadelphia
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $82,553 (73% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $124,208 (75% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $17,412

You may also like: Study finds major disconnect between Black girls and mathematics

Graduates in black gowns holding diplomas.

16 / 25

George Rudy // Shutterstock

#10. Criminal justice and corrections: Charter Oak State College

-- Location: New Britain, Connecticut
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $68,956 (15% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: Not available
-- Median student debt at college: $23,000

View of University of Pennsylvania buildings from Spruce Street.

17 / 25

Eileen_10 // Shutterstock

#9. Finance and financial management services: University of Pennsylvania

-- Location: Philadelphia
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $122,698 (292% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $242,357 (330% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $12,865

The bronze statue of William Marsh Rice in the quad at Rice University.

18 / 25

Tada Images // Shutterstock

#8. Health and physical education/fitness: Rice University

-- Location: Houston
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $51,110 (24% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $71,586 (52% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $10,000

Aerial view of the University of Illinois and surrounding cityscape.

19 / 25

Moses P // Shutterstock

#7. Teacher education and professional development, specific levels and methods: University of Illinois Chicago

-- Location: Chicago
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $60,917 (56% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $58,580 (7% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $16,750

Campus of Georgetown University in springtime.

20 / 25

LnP images // Shutterstock

#6. Accounting and related services: Georgetown University

-- Location: Washington D.C.
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $89,564 (59% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $165,279 (115% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $17,500

You may also like: Best colleges in America

Sign and banners on street at entrance to campus.

21 / 25

Claudine Van Massenhove // Shutterstock

#5. Communication and media studies: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

-- Location: San Luis Obispo, California
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $62,183 (67% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $67,009 (15% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $14,928

Aerial view of The Immaculata Church at the University of San Diego.

22 / 25

tokar // Shutterstock

#4. Biology: University of San Diego

-- Location: San Diego
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $54,223 (73% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $68,950 (11% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $25,000

Aerial view of Bentley University campus in Waltham.

23 / 25

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

#3. Psychology: Bentley University

-- Location: Waltham, Massachusetts
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $62,218 (95% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: Not available
-- Median student debt at college: $25,494

24 / 25

PeopleImages // Shutterstock

#2. Registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing: Sonoma State University

-- Location: Rohnert Park, California
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $125,646 (60% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $131,431 (50% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $19,750

Rear view of university graduates at ceremony.

25 / 25

Nirat.pix // Shutterstock

#1. Business administration, management and operations: Manhattan College

-- Location: Riverdale, New York
-- Typical earnings one year after graduation: $113,777 (123% higher than average)
-- Typical earnings five years after graduation: $111,699 (61% higher than average)
-- Median student debt at college: $25,328

Data reporting by Wade Zhou.

You may also like: Is a college education an investment or a gamble? It depends on the type of student.