How to Choose a College Major: Data, Salary, and Career Outlook
Your major affects starting salary by $20,000-50,000. Here is how to choose wisely.
The highest-paying bachelor degrees by median starting salary: Computer Science ($85,000), Engineering ($75,000), Finance ($65,000), Nursing ($62,000), Accounting ($58,000). The lowest-paying: Social Work ($38,000), Education ($40,000), Fine Arts ($38,000), Psychology ($42,000). The gap widens with experience — STEM and business graduates earn 50-100% more at mid-career than humanities graduates on average.
But Salary Is Not Everything
Job satisfaction among teachers and social workers is consistently higher than among finance and tech workers in surveys. Burnout rates in high-paying fields like investment banking and big law are extreme. The best major balances earning potential with genuine interest — a passionate average earner often has better life outcomes than a miserable high earner.
The Versatile Majors
If you are unsure, these majors open the most doors: Computer Science (every industry needs tech), Economics (business, law, policy, finance), Biology (medicine, biotech, research, teaching), Communications (marketing, media, PR, sales). These provide career flexibility while maintaining strong earning potential.