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
161 Chemistry Master's C $50,105 $44,384–$72,231 2,413
162 Aerospace Engineering Master's A $90,856 $81,702–$93,520 2,402
163 Dental Support Services Bachelor's B $56,068 $48,849–$61,516 2,397
164 Systems Engineering Master's A $101,072 $95,295–$106,421 2,393
165 Public Administration Bachelor's C $41,193 $34,526–$42,682 2,383
166 Industrial Production Technology Bachelor's B $53,483 $47,064–$60,485 2,163
167 Physics Master's B $71,575 $53,984–$71,575 2,152
168 Medical Illustration and Informatics Master's B $73,321 $60,161–$84,653 2,128
169 Foods, Nutrition Bachelor's D $31,042 $28,019–$35,060 2,117
170 Theological and Ministerial Studies Bachelor's D $31,127 $25,194–$32,563 2,102
171 Specialized Sales Bachelor's C $45,215 $33,993–$39,261 2,049
172 Physiology Master's F $31,851 $41,565–$44,835 2,048
173 Management Information Systems Master's A $90,998 $66,885–$82,440 2,009
174 Homeland Security Master's B $71,295 $47,260–$71,295 2,009
175 Political Science Master's C $52,107 $37,208–$50,856 2,000
176 Pharmacy Master's A $92,124 $76,460–$100,849 1,995
177 Biomathematics Master's B $78,343 $63,005–$71,575 1,991
178 Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General Bachelor's D $30,554 $26,715–$31,529 1,979
179 Real Estate Bachelor's B $52,941 $40,626–$55,964 1,944
180 Bible & Biblical Studies Bachelor's F $29,685 $24,421–$31,314 1,941
181 Environmental Engineering Bachelor's B $52,733 $50,558–$57,318 1,910
182 Parks, Recreation Bachelor's D $31,133 $28,816–$34,298 1,876
183 Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies Bachelor's D $33,043 $26,353–$33,043 1,872
184 Film and Photography Master's F $31,673 $26,353–$35,823 1,871
185 Human Biology Bachelor's D $31,189 $27,669–$32,925 1,867
186 Sustainability Studies Master's B $74,200 $42,682–$68,219 1,853
187 Biotechnology Master's C $67,772 $50,856–$77,715 1,832
188 Dietetics and Nutrition Master's D $47,260 $46,087–$50,105 1,804
189 Drama & Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Master's F $32,925 $26,353–$38,597 1,750
190 Behavioral Sciences Bachelor's D $30,317 $29,771–$32,925 1,743
191 Chemical Engineering Master's B $77,401 $73,949–$83,546 1,687
192 Design and Applied Arts Master's C $54,624 $40,461–$57,318 1,687
193 Liberal Arts and Sciences Master's C $50,856 $41,565–$50,856 1,685
194 Nutrition Sciences Master's C $49,883 $36,141–$53,775 1,636
195 Sustainability Studies Bachelor's C $36,745 $27,295–$39,009 1,636
196 Social Sciences Master's F $39,214 $37,208–$49,058 1,618
197 Geological Master's C $52,107 $42,728–$64,990 1,612
198 Community Organization and Advocacy Bachelor's C $34,586 $30,409–$36,387 1,550
199 Journalism Master's D $45,021 $38,289–$47,260 1,525
200 Fire Protection Bachelor's A $69,691 $39,729–$73,446 1,502

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?
Chemistry (Master's) — $55,108 median earnings two years after finishing, across 335 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.

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.