96 US majors graded A–F on what their graduates really earn — median pay two years after finishing, pooled from 48,089 federal programme records. The typical bachelor's major reports $37,568; the best-paying reports $71,015.
| # | Major (bachelor's) | Grade | Median earnings | Typical range | Programmes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Engineering | A | $71,015 | $63,749–$75,804 | 380 |
| 2 | Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | A | $69,338 | $66,461–$72,699 | 410 |
| 3 | Industrial Engineering | A | $68,047 | $63,005–$71,643 | 141 |
| 4 | Chemical Engineering | A | $67,073 | $60,714–$72,022 | 188 |
| 5 | Computer Science | A | $66,073 | $57,995–$74,576 | 767 |
| 6 | Mechanical Engineering | A | $64,990 | $61,218–$68,219 | 408 |
| 7 | Engineering, General | A | $61,516 | $57,318–$65,573 | 271 |
| 8 | Civil Engineering | B | $60,523 | $57,318–$63,921 | 313 |
| 9 | Computer and Information Sciences, General | B | $58,157 | $50,439–$67,660 | 938 |
| 10 | Management Information Systems and Services | B | $56,099 | $46,478–$61,303 | 433 |
Pick the subject you want to study first — earnings are a poor reason to spend three or four years on something you dislike, and the spread inside a major is wider than the gap between many majors. Then use the figure here to decide how much it is sensible to borrow for it, and the university pages to see what each institution actually charges.
Every number comes from the US Department of Education's field-of-study release: the median earnings of real graduates, taken from tax records, two years after they completed. Majors with too few programmes publishing earnings are left ungraded rather than estimated.
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data. Information only, not financial advice.