Key Takeaways:
- Our #1 ranking best value college major is Computer Science, followed by Management Information Systems.
- Valuable majors often offer high starting salaries and job growth, providing a strong financial return on investment in education.
- Flexibility in a major, such as in Business, enhances career options across various industries and roles.
College Values Online presents our ranking of the best value college majors. Choosing a college major is a very personal thing. Everybody has an opinion. The purpose of this ranking of the best value college majors is not to tell you what you should major in. Instead, we seek to provide you with information so you can make the best decision for you. Ultimately, the best value college major is one that will allow you to support yourself and be fulfilled in your work. That being said, when it comes to monetary value, not all college majors are created equal. The high-paying jobs available to graduates of the following programs more often than not require only a bachelor’s degree. Being able to start your career without pursuing a higher-level degree immediately adds years of earning and value. They all offer high starting pay and are among the highest-paying jobs in terms of median salary, which can be held with just an undergraduate degree. We hope this ranking of the best college majors will help you make an informed decision about college. Information on our ranking methodology and sources can be found at the end of the article. The job statistics for each college major were pulled from the high-value jobs available to holders of that degree, requiring only a bachelor’s.
Best College Majors Ranked for Value
Featured Programs
#1. Computer Science
Rating: 21
Computer science is a broad and rapidly growing field that experiences some of the best job growth rates across the industry. Some of the best jobs available to people with a bachelor’s in computer science are Information Systems Manager, Software Applications Developer, Computer Network Architect, Systems Software Developer, and Computer Forensic Analyst.
Flexibility: High
Starting Pay Range: $58,762-$82,424
Median Salary: $101,210-$135,800
Job Growth Rate: 9%-17%
#2. Management Information Systems
Rating: 14
Computer and information systems managers have historically been a job done by computer science graduates. However, companies are now leaning more toward hiring specialists for these positions. The computing industry is massive, and a targeted degree can give you a competitive edge in the job market. Computer and information systems managers have the highest median salary of any degree in our ranking.
Flexibility: Low
Starting Pay Range: $62,046
Median Salary: $135,800
Job Growth Rate: 15%
#3. Computer Software Engineering
Rating: 13
Computer software engineers are highly sought after and often find jobs in fields such as web development (often back-end), systems development, application development, and embedded systems development. However, the degree is flexible enough that jobs in robotics, artificial intelligence research, and development are also available. The pay for these jobs is relatively high, even at entry level, and job growth rate is much faster than average.
Flexibility: High
Starting Pay Range: $69,632
Median Salary: $108,760
Job Growth Rate: 17%
#4. Finance
Rating: 13
The finance field currently offers some of the highest-paying jobs in the world. Even a bachelor’s degree opens up opportunities in fields such as financial management and financial analysis. A combination of more education and/or experience can lead to growth into even more lucrative areas of the field. Finance professionals also benefit from a high demand for their skills across most industries worldwide, providing them with a high level of flexibility throughout their careers.
Flexibility: High
Starting Pay Range: $56,128-$58,834
Median Salary: $81,760-$121,750
Job Growth Rate: 7%-12%
#5. Economics
Rating: 13
Indeed, there are not many options available for those with only a bachelor’s degree in economics. Most of the highest-paying research and analysis positions require a minimum of a master’s degree. However, there is one job economics majors can fit well into, and that is a compensation and benefits manager. Major companies, unions, and government agencies often manage retirement benefits accounts for their employees. A solid grounding in economics is enormously beneficial to the professionals managing those benefits.
Flexibility: Low
Starting Pay Range: $85,380
Median Salary: $116,240
Job Growth Rate: 6%
#6. Biomedical Engineering:
Rating: 13
Biomedical engineering is one of the fastest-growing fields in the modern world. Biomedical engineers are at the forefront of developing artificial organs and devices that replace body parts, and they also adjust, maintain, and repair these systems. Biomedical engineers also frequently participate in research in areas such as cell and tissue engineering. The career is flexible, allowing biomedical engineers to work in hospitals, research and development, and industry.
Flexibility: High
Starting Pay: $61,815
Median Salary: $91,230
Job Growth Rate: 23%
#7. Business
Rating: 12
The business administration major is perhaps the most flexible of all majors. Granted, most students will want to specialize in a given area, but that’s easy to do with numerous minors and certificate programs available to undergraduates. The best-paying jobs available to business majors include marketing manager, sales manager, purchasing manager, human resources manager, and operations manager. While many of these sorts of positions with major companies aren’t available to new graduates, they often are available to those with just a bachelor’s and requisite experience.
Flexibility: High
Starting Pay Range: $46,460-$54,950
Median Salary: $106,910-$127,560
Job Growth Rate: 1%-9%
#8. Mathematics
Rating: 12
A bachelor’s degree in mathematics can lead to a wide variety of jobs. From actuary to various analyst positions for mathematicians, especially those in applied mathematics, these roles are in high demand. They work in consulting, government research labs, finance, computer information and software firms, electronics manufacturers, and communications companies.
Flexibility: Medium
Starting Pay Range: $63,144
Median Salary: $105,810
Job Growth Rate: 21%
#9. Computer Hardware Engineering
Rating: 11
Computer hardware engineers are the pioneers who drive the computing industry forward. The systems they design and implement unlock new possibilities in software development. From systems design to network architecture design, and with the ability to crossover into software design and development, as well as information systems management, this is a lucrative field with a lot of flexibility.
Flexibility: High
Starting Pay: $68,632
Median Salary: $115,080
Job Growth: 3%
#10. Aerospace Engineering
Rating: 11
The field of aerospace engineering is currently experiencing some negative job growth. It’s one of the highest-paying industries. Another benefit of an aerospace engineering degree is that it opens up the option to become a commercial pilot, which is both a well-paying field and one with positive job growth. So, whether you want to fly or work in design, this degree can be advantageous and quite flexible. Private space exploration companies, such as SpaceX, are expanding. As these companies grow, the negative job growth in design, research, and development will reverse.
Flexibility: High
Starting Pay Range: $58,126-$71,966
Median Salary: $105,720-$109-650
Job Growth Rate: -2%-5%
#11. Chemical Engineering
Rating: 10
While the job growth rate for chemical engineers is slower than average, it is a very flexible degree. Chemical engineers work in various fields, including pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, biotechnology, healthcare, and environmental health and safety, among others. Chemical engineers are especially essential in the manufacturing process, developing health and safety policy, designing equipment layout, and performing a wide variety of other essential functions.
Flexibility: 3
Starting Pay: $67,982
Median Salary: $103,960
Job Growth: 2%
#12. Actuarial Mathematics
Rating: 10
Actuarial mathematics degrees are highly focused on preparing students for the rigorous process of becoming an actuary. Actuaries assess risk across many industries, but the insurance industry relies heavily on risk assessment to set premiums. There is incredible job growth in the actuarial field, which is both lucrative and can be entered with just a bachelor’s degree. Do not be fooled, though, the test-taking and certification process required to become an actuary is quite rigorous and can take up to six years to complete the process (though earning the certification can be started while you are still an undergraduate).
Flexibility: Low
Starting Pay Range: $63,513
Median Salary: $100,610
Job Growth Rate: 18%
#13. Geological and Mining Engineering
Rating: 8
This is a highly focused major that leads primarily to jobs in mining. Geological and mining engineers design open-pit and underground mines, monitor mine production, and ensure the safety of the mining operation. They also develop strategies for land reclamation and the mitigation of water and air pollution related to the mining process.
Flexibility: Low
Starting Pay Range: $60,023
Median Salary: $107,880
Job Growth: 6%
#14. Environmental Engineering
Rating: 8
Environmental engineering is one of the fastest-growing fields in engineering and offers high flexibility. Environmental engineers play a crucial role in environmental investigations, designing environmentally beneficial projects, and inspecting industrial and municipal facilities and projects to ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
Flexibility: High
Starting Pay Range: $57,795
Median Salary: $84,890
Job Growth Rate: 12%
#15. Communications with Public Relations Minor
Rating: 8
Public relations and fundraising managers play a crucial role in both the political and nonprofit spheres. Public relations managers, in general, are an essential part of any large company or corporation. While historically it was common to require a business degree for this position, an increasing number of companies are seeking communications specialists as public relations has become increasingly complex with the advancement of communication technology.
Flexibility: High
Starting Pay Range: $51,770
Median Salary: $107,320
Job Growth Rate: 7%
Methodology for Best Value College Majors
Our methodology for this article on the best value college majors uses four categories for scoring. These categories are some of the most important factors to consider when choosing a major and minor, especially if you plan to go straight into the workforce instead of earning a graduate degree. An explanation of each category and its importance follows. Ties were broken by awarding the better ranking to the degree with the highest median salary among its best-value jobs.
Flexibility
The variety of job opportunities available to graduates determines the degree’s flexibility. How broad is the field? How many different types of positions are available? How many industries make use of graduates with this degree? How much can you do in the field without education beyond the undergraduate level? All these factors combine to indicate the degree’s level of flexibility.
Low=1
Medium=2
High=3
Starting Pay
Starting pay is an obvious factor to consider. This is the baseline pay for entry-level positions available to those with the given degree. When multiple high-paying jobs were available, we listed the starting pay as a range between the lowest and highest paying jobs.
$50,000=1
$55,000=2
$60,000=3
$65,000=4
$70,000=5
$75,000=6
$80,000=7
$85,000=8
Median Salary
Median salary is a good indicator of the kind of money it is common to earn in jobs associated with the bachelor’s degree in question. While starting pay is the baseline, median pay is a good indicator of the kind of money you can earn as your career progresses.
$90,000=1
$100,000=2
$110,000=3
$120,000=5
$125,000=6
$130,000=7
Job Growth Rate
When examining the jobs available to holders of the bachelor’s degrees ranked here, job growth was a key consideration. It’s essential to be aware of the trends surrounding different degrees and the jobs they lead to, as higher-growth fields offer graduates more opportunities in the job market.
1%-5%=1
6%-10%=2
11%-15%=3
16%-20%=4
21-25%=5
Sources
United States Department of Labor
Additional Resources:
- Best Accredited Online Colleges
- Top Accelerated Online Bachelor’s Degrees
- Fast Online Degrees
- Cheap Online Colleges
- Highest Paying Associate Degree Jobs
- Online Associate’s
- Best Actuarial Science Programs Online
- Highest Paying Nursing Jobs
CVO Staff
This concludes our ranking of the top 15 best value college majors.