The 50 Highest Paying Majors

Picking a major is one of the hardest choices your students will make in College. Their future job satisfaction and salary depend a lot on the major they choose and their ultimate career path.

To help students on the path to financially fulfilling careers, Glassdoor has released its report of the 50 highest paying majors. After analyzing hundreds of thousands of resumes and salary reports, the recruiting site revealed that graduating students will have a higher earning potential if they pursue a degree in computer science. This major leads to entry-level jobs as a software engineer, systems engineer or web developer, and boasts an impressive median base salary of $70,000.

The importance of a credible education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can be seen throughout the top of the list, which is dominated by careers in engineering.

Electrical engineering took the second spot with a median base salary of $68,438. Mechanical engineering is the third highest paying salary at $68,000, followed by chemical engineering at $65,000. A major in industrial engineering rounded out the top five with a median base salary of $64,381.

While STEM jobs will certainly have the highest earning potential, other popular career paths offer competitive starting salaries. With a median base salary of $58,928, a degree in nursing snagged the 9th spot, and can lead to entry level jobs as a registered nurse or case manager. A general business major came in at the 20th spot, with an average base salary of $47,850.

Here is the entire list:

The 50 Highest Paying College Majors are:

1. Computer Science

2. Electrical Engineering

3. Mechanical Engineering

4. Chemical Engineering

5. Industrial Engineering

6. Information Technology

7. Civil Engineering

8. Statistics

9. Nursing

10. Management Information Systems

11. Finance

12. Mathematics

13. Biomedical Engineering

14. Accounting

15. Economics

16. Physics

17. Biotechnology

18. Architecture

19. Fashion Design

20. Business

21. International Relations

22. Graphic Design

23. Marketing

24. English

25. Political Science

26. History

27. Human Resources

28. Journalism

29. Advertising

30. Philosophy

31. Environmental Science

32. Social Science

33. Spanish

34. Communications

35. Interior Design

36. Chemistry

37. Music

38. Film Studies

39. Public Relations

40. Sports Management

41. Education

42. Anthropology

43. Hospitality Management  

44. Biochemistry

45. Liberal Arts

46. Psychology

47. Sociology

48. Healthcare Administration

49. Social Work

50. Biology