Key takeaways:
- Salary matters, but so do your interests, abilities, and future job demand.
- STEM majors dominate the highest-paying fields for recent graduates.
- Some healthcare careers offer especially strong earning potential after you’ve been in the field for several years.
Politics aside, it’s THE question that creates the most consternation at a holiday dinner:
“What are you going to major in?”
It often comes from a well-meaning family member just trying to make conversation. It’s also one of the hardest questions to answer.
So, this might be a better one for you to ponder: “If earning potential matters to me, what should I know before choosing a major?”
In this blog, we’ll help you discover the highest-paying college majors, their career paths and earning potential, and how to pick a course of study that’s right for you.
What should you consider when choosing a major?
Whether you’re choosing a major for the first time or considering a change, here are a few questions to ask before you declare:
- Are you good at it?
- Do you enjoy it?
- Is there a demand for it?
- Will you need more education?
- What could you realistically earn?
If earning potential is a key factor for your career choice, let’s look at what the numbers say.
What are the most popular majors?
Despite a rapidly changing world, business remains the most popular field of study — but others are experiencing significant growth. Over a recent 10-year period, the number of bachelor's degrees awarded in health professions jumped 62 percent, engineering climbed 51 percent, and biological and biomedical sciences increased 37 percent.
The following six fields account for nearly 60 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
- Business
- Health professions
- Social sciences and history
- Biological and biomedical sciences
- Psychology
- Engineering
But do the most popular majors pay the most? Let’s find out.
What are the highest-paying college majors?
In 2025, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce released “The Major Payoff,” a study that analyzed 142 majors for recent college graduates (ages 22-26) and 152 for prime-age workers (35-54), using Census Bureau data.
Here are the 10 highest-paying majors for recent college graduates.
| Rank | College major | Median annual earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum Engineering | $98,000 |
| 2 | Chemical Engineering | $86,000 |
| 3 | Computer Engineering | $86,000 |
| 4 | Actuarial Science | $85,000 |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | $84,000 |
| 6 | Computer Science | $83,000 |
| 7 | Aerospace Engineering | $82,000 |
| 8 | Nuclear Engineering | $82,000 |
| 9 | Mechanical Engineering | $81,000 |
| 10 | Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering | $81,000 |
A pattern emerges
As you can see, eight of the 10 highest-paying majors fall within engineering. But that doesn’t mean you should become an engineer to earn a bigger salary.
And this is an especially important point: Your first salary won’t always determine what you’ll earn throughout your career.
Which majors pay the most later in your career?
While engineers remain at the top for those in their prime working years, salaries for some healthcare fields — such as pharmacy — continue to climb.
Here are the top 10 fields that produce the highest earnings for employees ages 35-54.
| Rank | College Major | Median annual earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petroleum engineering | $146,000 |
| 2 | Pharmacy or Administration | $145,000 |
| 3 | Metallurgical engineering | $125,000 |
| 4 | Nuclear engineering | $125,000 |
| 5 | Electrical engineering | $123,000 |
| 6 | Marine engineering | $123,000 |
| 7 | Mineral engineering | $121,000 |
| 8 | Computer engineering | $121,000 |
| 9 | Chemical engineering | $121,000 |
| 10 | Actuarial science | $118,000 |
The takeaway? While your college major can influence your earning power, what you do with your role in the workplace matters even more.
Of course, choosing your career path is just the first step. Now you’ll need to figure out what educational road — and foundational courses — you’ll need to arrive and thrive.
On campus or online learning?
For many students, completing prerequisite courses online can reduce the cost and scheduling challenges you might face — especially if you’re holding a job or raising a family while you learn.
At $230 per credit hour, tuition at Portage Learning remains significantly lower than the average $411 rate a public four-year university charges in-state students. Plus, the institution’s rolling enrollment means you can register today and start tomorrow — at any time during the year.
“I really liked the convenience of it being online,” says Alex Jett of Shelbyville, Kentucky, who completed six courses with Portage. “I could start whenever I wanted and I could progress as fast or as slowly as I wanted through the courses. That was really appealing to me.”
Alex, who is now a nurse at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville, had initially explored the on-campus route.
“When I looked into community college, everything was on a semester schedule, and that wouldn’t allow me to continue working. I needed to work.”
Alex had two full-time jobs while taking her prerequisites with Portage, and her work ethic has paid off — literally. Alex says she’s now earning more with her initial nursing salary than she did working seven days a week in those two positions.
You decide your future
So, here’s what to do the next time Aunt Norma asks, “What are you going to major in?”
Just reply, “I’m not 100 percent sure but I do know what I’ll base my decision on”:
- What I’m good at
- What I enjoy
- What future employers need
- And the kind of lifestyle my education will build
While a healthy paycheck is important, choose the path that will give you the brightest overall future with meaningful work.
That’s something you can’t put a price tag on.
Still looking for answers?
Check out the FAQs about this article below.
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
What should you consider when choosing a major?
There are few things to consider when choosing a major. You should consider education levels, if there is a demand for it, earning potential, if you excel at it, and most importantly, if you enjoy it.What are the most popular majors?
The most popular majors include business, health professions, social sciences and history, biological and biomedical sciences, psychology, and engineering.What are the highest paying majors?
The highest paying majors include:- Petroleum Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Actuarial Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Computer Science
- Aerospace Engineering
- Nuclear Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
