College has never been more expensive, and astronomical tuition costs only continue to climb.
As a result, choosing a major can definitely be stressful. Not only are you choosing what you want to do for the rest of your life, but you also want to make sure that you are investing in an education that will lead to prosperity and financial peace.
With that in mind, Bankrate compiled a list of the top 20 highest-earning college degrees. Here are the top five college degrees from their analysis.
1. Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers are responsible for developing, testing and maintaining electrical equipment, such as the electrical components of navigation and communication systems on cars and planes, as well as systems that are found on smartphones like digital health apps. With the popularity of these devices growing, the field has potential for growth. On average, people with an electrical engineering degree can expect to make about $110,000, according to Bankrate.
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2. Computer Engineering
Computer engineers are often in high demand. Graduates with a computer engineering degree make a median salary of $104,000, according to Bankrate, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data confirms that grads can earn six-figure (median) salaries in a few fields within computer engineering. For example, the median salary in 2022 for computer hardware engineers was $132,360.
3. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences And Administration
A pharmacy major can take you many places. After their initial studies, a person with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in pharmacy sciences might have to decide whether to continue their education and go on to earn a doctorate of pharmacy, or they might get a master’s in pharmacy administration.
However, you can also do a lot with just a bachelor’s degree: You can get a job testing and researching products in the cosmetic industry or a job working with government organizations like the Food and Drug Administration. The median salary for grads is around $100,000 a year, according to Bankrate.
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4. Chemical Engineering
From toys to clothes and shoes to gas, chemical engineers help to develop, test and maintain the elements that are used to make these products. It’s a notoriously difficult degree to earn, but it can lead to a median salary of over $100,000.
5. Computer Science
A computer science degree could secure you a six-figure salary. The average salary for a person with a computer science degree is $100,000. There are a wide variety of jobs that are available to computer scientists, from IT consulting to graphic design to game design.
Happy studying!
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