Research · Majors and pay · October 2026
What the 25 most common college majors pay four years after the degree
As of October 2026: The 25 college majors with the most graduates pay a median of $41,818 to $100,650 four years out. Computer science pays the most at $100,650, and the most common major, business administration, pays $65,359.
The table holds the federal median pay four years out for each of these 25 majors, pooled across every college that reports the program; it does not say what one college's graduates earn.
Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com), October 2026. Figures and the table may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.
The findings, in plain English
Computer science pays the most of the common majors. Computer science has a median of $100,650 four years out. It has 34,391 graduates and 327 reporting colleges. Mechanical engineering follows at $91,028. The general computing programs pay $88,377. All three are small next to business administration, which has 122,120 graduates.
Nursing is both large and well paid. Nursing has 111,384 graduates, second only to business administration. Its median is $84,759. The other very large majors pay far less. Business administration pays $65,359, psychology $50,326 and biology $58,075.
Twelve of the 25 majors pay under $55,000. Fine and studio arts is lowest at $41,818. Teacher education pays $48,037 and $51,003. English pays $49,064 and history $50,756. Six majors pay above $75,000: nursing, finance, computer science, mechanical engineering, economics and the general computing programs.
The 25 most common majors, ranked by graduates
Pay is the federal median four years after the degree, across every college reporting the program.
| Major | Graduates in the federal file | Colleges reporting | Median pay, 4 years out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 122,120 | 960 | $65,359 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 111,384 | 714 | $84,759 |
| Psychology, General | 104,081 | 935 | $50,326 |
| Biology, General | 78,091 | 812 | $58,075 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 43,795 | 608 | $54,291 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 43,616 | 422 | $77,915 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 41,592 | 572 | $53,542 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 40,296 | 518 | $55,287 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 39,450 | 601 | $48,037 |
| Marketing | 38,964 | 479 | $66,773 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 38,511 | 695 | $74,490 |
| Political Science and Government | 37,271 | 554 | $62,042 |
| Computer Science | 34,391 | 327 | $100,650 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 33,901 | 309 | $91,028 |
| Economics | 33,819 | 367 | $79,468 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 32,062 | 388 | $88,377 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 29,529 | 417 | $52,501 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 23,700 | 543 | $49,064 |
| Sociology | 23,351 | 441 | $52,249 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 18,852 | 408 | $41,818 |
| Social Work | 18,353 | 396 | $51,812 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 17,963 | 221 | $65,292 |
| History | 17,776 | 437 | $50,756 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 17,346 | 186 | $54,803 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 15,596 | 331 | $51,003 |
College Scorecard field-of-study data, bachelor's programs. Each pay figure is the median of the medians reported by the colleges that offer the program, counting only programs reported by at least 30 colleges. The graduate count is the number of graduates in the federal earnings file, which counts only graduates who received federal student aid, so it is smaller than the number of degrees awarded nationally. Colleges with too few graduates in a program are suppressed in the federal file and are missing here.
How to read the pay column
Each figure is a median. Half of that major's graduates earned more four years out and half earned less. The number pools every college that reports the program. These 25 majors cover 1,055,810 graduates in the federal file.
A median is not a starting salary. It is not a promise either. Pay travels with the students a college admits and the majors they choose. The same major can pay very differently from one college to the next.
Common does not track with pay
The most common majors here are business administration at $65,359, nursing at $84,759 and psychology at $50,326. The pattern holds down the list. Communication has 43,795 graduates at $54,291. Criminal justice has 40,296 at $55,287. Sports and kinesiology has 41,592 at $53,542. Size and pay are separate facts.
Biology needs a careful read. It has 78,091 graduates and a median of $58,075. Four years is early for a field where many graduates go on to medical or graduate school. For them the pay arrives later than this table can see.
What a family should do with this
Start with the major. Then check that same major at the colleges on your kid's list. Our college pages carry the program figure for each one. A single college can sit a long way from the national median either way.
A major in the lower half of this table is not a wrong choice. It changes the cost side. A median of $48,037 carries a big loan very differently than $100,650 does. So the net price of the college matters more, not less.
Nursing at $84,759 and accounting at $74,490 both end in a license or an exam. The pay comes with that step. Plan for it from the first year.
Questions parents ask
Which common major pays the most four years out?
Computer science has a median of $100,650 four years out.
Does a popular major mean a well-paid one?
The most common majors here are business administration at $65,359, nursing at $84,759 and psychology at $50,326.
Is this what my kid will earn?
A median is not a starting salary. It is not a promise either. Pay travels with the students a college admits and the majors they choose.
Method & sources: The source is the federal College Scorecard field-of-study file, which gives median earnings four years after graduation for each bachelor's program at each college. We ranked programs by the number of graduates in that earnings cohort, kept the top 25, and counted only programs reported by at least 30 colleges. Each pay figure is the median of the colleges' own medians, so one large program cannot pull it. The file counts only graduates who got federal student aid, and it hides small programs, so it does not describe every graduate.
This brief as data: /research/what-common-majors-pay.json. Free for editorial use with attribution to Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).
Related: Major pages: admit rates, cost and pay by major · College outcomes: earnings and payoff by college and major · The 25 best-paying majors four years out