Ranked by how many students complete them each year, with what those graduates go on to earn.
| # | Major | Level | Grade | Median earnings | Typical range | Graduates/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121 | Rhetoric and Composition & Writing Studies | Master's | F | $35,701 | $30,771–$40,485 | 4,134 |
| 122 | Clinical & Medical Laboratory Science & Research | Bachelor's | B | $56,415 | $52,524–$62,154 | 4,022 |
| 123 | English | Master's | F | $40,737 | $32,925–$42,682 | 3,937 |
| 124 | Computer Software and Media Applications | Master's | B | $78,971 | $61,144–$86,550 | 3,929 |
| 125 | Rehabilitation | Bachelor's | D | $31,314 | $27,488–$34,704 | 3,840 |
| 126 | Health Professions Education | Master's | B | $80,862 | $70,009–$91,744 | 3,831 |
| 127 | Engineering | Master's | B | $90,412 | $78,343–$90,412 | 3,783 |
| 128 | Natural Resources and Conservation | Master's | C | $52,107 | $41,205–$54,528 | 3,728 |
| 129 | Architecture | Bachelor's | C | $43,798 | $39,369–$50,141 | 3,714 |
| 130 | Statistics | Master's | A | $103,078 | $75,706–$87,604 | 3,703 |
| 131 | Biomedical Engineering | Master's | B | $75,706 | $63,005–$77,715 | 3,671 |
| 132 | History | Master's | F | $38,414 | $33,993–$44,468 | 3,626 |
| 133 | Nutrition Sciences | Bachelor's | D | $29,882 | $28,753–$33,281 | 3,454 |
| 134 | Geography | Bachelor's | C | $36,668 | $31,133–$38,829 | 3,429 |
| 135 | Health & Medical Preparatory Programs | Bachelor's | F | $29,016 | $25,194–$31,853 | 3,406 |
| 136 | Graphic Communications | Bachelor's | F | $28,816 | $22,667–$36,368 | 3,401 |
| 137 | Ecology, Evolution, Systematics | Master's | C | $55,383 | $44,170–$67,101 | 3,247 |
| 138 | Microbiology | Bachelor's | D | $33,459 | $29,685–$38,289 | 3,108 |
| 139 | Marketing | Master's | C | $56,641 | $46,087–$76,460 | 3,059 |
| 140 | Fine Arts | Master's | F | $29,639 | $23,456–$33,565 | 3,045 |
| 141 | TESOL | Master's | C | $53,108 | $38,289–$56,544 | 3,033 |
| 142 | Broadcasting | Master's | D | $48,041 | $38,289–$48,041 | 2,951 |
| 143 | Construction Management | Bachelor's | A | $65,131 | $61,020–$68,219 | 2,911 |
| 144 | Business Management | Bachelor's | C | $44,915 | $34,704–$54,192 | 2,895 |
| 145 | Arts, Entertainment | Bachelor's | F | $29,685 | $23,456–$30,475 | 2,861 |
| 146 | Mental and Social Health Services | Bachelor's | D | $31,382 | $29,685–$35,060 | 2,850 |
| 147 | Construction Engineering Technology & Technician | Bachelor's | A | $66,060 | $58,673–$68,422 | 2,830 |
| 148 | Cognitive Science | Bachelor's | C | $41,870 | $28,960–$41,870 | 2,797 |
| 149 | Homeland Security | Bachelor's | B | $53,858 | $37,208–$47,260 | 2,797 |
| 150 | Pharmacy | Bachelor's | C | $41,565 | $29,593–$41,937 | 2,784 |
| 151 | Industrial Engineering | Master's | B | $87,604 | $70,009–$89,059 | 2,737 |
| 152 | Engineering | Bachelor's | A | $63,997 | $57,318–$65,573 | 2,693 |
| 153 | Zoology & Animal Biology | Bachelor's | F | $25,194 | $22,329–$28,348 | 2,630 |
| 154 | Mechanical Engineering Related Technology | Bachelor's | B | $59,711 | $54,463–$62,508 | 2,611 |
| 155 | Mathematics | Master's | C | $53,810 | $44,021–$62,012 | 2,572 |
| 156 | Research and Experimental Psychology | Master's | C | $50,677 | $36,183–$50,677 | 2,544 |
| 157 | Computer Programming | Bachelor's | B | $55,422 | $52,941–$62,260 | 2,492 |
| 158 | Dietetics and Nutrition | Bachelor's | D | $31,928 | $27,642–$36,134 | 2,467 |
| 159 | General Sales | Bachelor's | C | $45,435 | $39,523–$52,198 | 2,458 |
| 160 | Biological and Physical Sciences | Bachelor's | F | $29,685 | $27,301–$33,138 | 2,426 |
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.
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.
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.