Engineering Degrees Have The Greatest Return on Investment 🔧
What We're Showing
The average return on investment of a degree in the U.S., based on data from CollegeNPV.
The return on investment of a degree is the expected lifetime value of the degree (net of debt) compared to entering the workforce after high school.
STEM Degrees Have The Best Bang For Their Buck
Engineering, computer and information sciences, mathematics, and engineering technician degrees are the most valuable degrees in the U.S. when looking at expected lifetime income minus debt compared to working right after high school.
As for specific programs, Harvard University's computer science degree ranks first for ROI, according to CollegeNPV.
Graduates of this program can expect an ROI of over $4 million in their lifetime, with $256,539 in median income and $14,000 in median debt.
On the other end, humanities degrees like visual and performing arts, theology, and English are among the least valuable degrees when looking at lifetime earnings.
Dataset
Field of Study | Average return on investment |
---|---|
Engineering | $570,616 |
Computer and Information Sciences | $477,229 |
Mathematics | $340,875 |
Engineering Technicians | $311,141 |
Business | $205,191 |
Architecture | $196,711 |
Nursing and Health Professions | $194,756 |
Physics, Chemistry and Geology | $168,822 |
Social Sciences | $118,454 |
Interdisciplinary Studies | $69,656 |
Biology | $63,913 |
Agriculture | $59,556 |
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender and Group Studies | $42,959 |
Legal Studies | $38,999 |
Natural Resources and Conservation | $28,985 |
Communication and Journalism | $28,654 |
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting | $27,284 |
Foreign Languages | $25,750 |
Public Administration and Social Services | $7,787 |
Philosophy and Religious Studies | $6,011 |
History | $4,938 |
Fitness, Parks and Recreation | -$1,078 |
Liberal Arts and General Studies | -$13,337 |
Psychology | -$15,644 |
Education | -$20,075 |
Family and Human Sciences | -$24,540 |
Communications Technologies | -$28,911 |
English Language | -$39,057 |
Theology | -$91,749 |
Visual and Performing Arts | -$104,015 |