List: Top 15 Most Valuable Bachelor's Degrees 2021 - How Many Bachelor's Degree Programs Are There?

834 to Choose From!

Top 15 Bachelor's Degrees by Expected Earnings Over Career

We took a look at Payscale's College Salary Report for 2020, and the chart below lays out to top 15 Bachelor's Degrees by expected earnings from start of career, to mid-career.  If you want  a deeper dive, Payscale lists 834(!) degrees, and values each. 

Click on the links to jump to more in-depth analysis as to the types of jobs one typically secures with the given degree, demographic information for those occupying such jobs and Payscale's choice of leading colleges offering such a degree.  

Rank	Degree	Early/Starting Pay	Mid-Career Pay
1	Petroleum Engineering	$92,300	$182,000
2	Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (EECS)	$101,200	$152,300
3	Applied Economics and Management	$60,900	$139,600
3	Operations Research	$78,400	$139,600
5	Public Accounting	$60,000	$138,800
6	Chemical Engineering/Materials Science & Engineering	$74,500	$137,800
7	Quantitative Business Analysis	$67,900	$136,200
8	Pharmacy	$66,300	$133,200
9	Aeronautics & Astronautics	$74,000	$133,100
10	Systems Engineering	$74,000	$132,900
11	Electrical Power Engineering	$73,100	$130,700
12	Actuarial Mathematics	$61,900	$130,500
13	Aerospace Studies	$50,300	$130,300
14	Chemical Engineering	$73,500	$128,900
15	Actuarial Science	$64,700	$128,700

Of course, there is other information out there, but Payscale is known for examining BLS statistics and projections, and is widely viewed as a reliable source.

Wondering About Values of MBA Degrees?

You May Also Like: What is the Average Starting Salary for Someone with an MBA? How Much is an MBA Worth in the Long Run? Which MBAs Are Most Valuable?

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