Engineering and computer science are the two majors that offer bachelor’s-degree earners the most lucrative returns over the course of their careers, according to
Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.
A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.
Engineering and computer science are the two majors that offer bachelor’s-degree earners the most lucrative returns over the course of their careers, according to new data released on Wednesday by the U.S. Census Bureau. The data estimated 40-year earnings for people who maintain full-time employment, broken down by choice of college major and occupation.
Engineering majors who enter management earn the most—$4.1-million, according to the report. Education majors make the least, at $1.8-million, and those education majors who work in service jobs “earn less than people whose highest attainment is a high-school diploma,” the report said. Across all majors, the data showed that earning a bachelor’s degree is worth roughly $1-million more than earning a high-school diploma, and earning a doctoral degree is worth an additional $1-million. An accompanying report also examined the employment characteristics and median annual income of adults who earned degrees in different fields.
The Census Bureau data echo the findings of a series of reports since last year by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. The reports, also based on Census Bureau data, have covered the relationship between college major and earnings, college major and unemployment, and occupation and earnings.
