Ranked

Most popular US degrees by number of graduates

Ranked by how many students complete them each year, with what those graduates go on to earn.

#MajorLevelGradeMedian earningsTypical rangeGraduates/yr
41 Computer Engineering Bachelor's A $71,015 $63,749–$75,804 12,137
42 Information Technology Management Bachelor's B $51,035 $48,432–$60,192 11,636
43 Information Technology Management Master's B $85,465 $75,518–$97,071 11,140
44 Journalism Bachelor's D $32,429 $29,183–$35,843 10,025
45 Exercise Science Master's D $40,843 $37,856–$45,128 9,192
46 Electrical Engineering Master's A $92,632 $82,440–$97,959 9,188
47 Business Master's B $70,876 $59,895–$84,653 9,081
48 Chemical Engineering Bachelor's A $67,073 $60,714–$72,022 8,935
49 Special Education Bachelor's C $37,568 $34,450–$40,821 8,867
50 Hospitality Management Bachelor's C $36,497 $33,192–$40,140 7,940
51 Management Information Systems Bachelor's B $56,099 $46,478–$61,303 7,889
52 Biology Master's F $38,289 $28,212–$46,087 7,761
53 Physics Bachelor's C $41,193 $34,847–$48,432 7,710
54 Philosophy Bachelor's F $28,598 $25,194–$33,281 7,542
55 Mechanical Engineering Master's B $81,702 $75,518–$86,129 7,395
56 Psychology Master's D $42,682 $38,289–$48,265 6,941
57 Criminal Justice Master's D $45,715 $39,009–$52,289 6,816
58 Music Master's F $29,051 $24,228–$33,993 6,242
59 Computer Engineering Master's A $94,408 $84,653–$104,192 5,898
60 Social Sciences Bachelor's D $33,237 $29,565–$37,568 5,560
61 Statistics Bachelor's B $53,897 $47,650–$61,516 5,318
62 Economics Master's C $64,290 $57,318–$70,596 5,317
63 Industrial Engineering Bachelor's A $68,047 $63,005–$71,643 5,205
64 Civil Engineering Master's B $71,015 $66,169–$74,200 4,960
65 Communications Master's D $45,715 $40,728–$53,775 4,685
66 Finance Master's B $74,576 $64,196–$87,973 4,158
67 English Master's F $39,261 $32,925–$42,682 3,937
68 Engineering Master's A $88,982 $78,343–$90,412 3,783
69 Natural Resources and Conservation Master's C $48,432 $41,205–$54,528 3,728
70 Architecture Bachelor's B $46,087 $39,369–$50,141 3,714
71 Statistics Master's B $81,263 $75,706–$87,604 3,703
72 History Master's F $39,927 $33,993–$44,468 3,626
73 Geography Bachelor's C $35,420 $31,133–$38,829 3,429
74 Microbiology Bachelor's C $34,207 $29,685–$38,289 3,108
75 Marketing Master's C $58,693 $46,087–$76,460 3,059
76 Fine Arts Master's F $29,616 $23,456–$33,565 3,045
77 Pharmacy Bachelor's C $37,705 $29,593–$41,937 2,784
78 Industrial Engineering Master's B $83,547 $70,009–$89,059 2,737
79 Engineering Bachelor's A $61,516 $57,318–$65,573 2,693
80 Mathematics Master's C $52,959 $44,021–$62,012 2,572

Popular does not mean well paid

The most-awarded degrees in the US are not the best-paying ones. Business, psychology and nursing dominate on volume for reasons of interest, access and licensing rather than salary — check the earnings column beside each row.

Why volume matters anyway

A field with tens of thousands of graduates a year has a deep, competitive job market and plenty of programmes to choose between, which usually means more scholarship money in circulation and more places where you can study it affordably.

Questions

What is the most popular college major in the US?
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's) — $71,015 median earnings two years after finishing, across 380 US programmes.
Are these starting salaries?
No. They are median earnings two years after students completed the degree, taken from tax records rather than surveys or job adverts.
Can I compare a master's with a bachelor's here?
Only with care. Each grade is a percentile inside its own credential level, so an A master's and an A bachelor's are both top-of-their-level rather than equal in salary.
All degree grades Highest paying majors Lowest earning majors University costs & payback Scholarships

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study earnings, measured two years after completion. Majors with too few programmes publishing earnings are left out rather than estimated.