Not everyone wants to be affluent and not everyone goes to college to qualify for a high-paying job. As a Philosophical Anthropology* major, I certainly didn’t.
But if you’re interested in the practical value of a major, it’s good to know how well it pays off in the longer term. Hence this post, which provides the median earnings by major for California State University graduates ten years after they’ve graduated. The figures apply only to graduates working in California and so are likely a bit higher than the earnings of comparable graduates in other states. However, I’m assuming the overall pattern remains the same, i.e., some majors have a much greater payoff than others, no matter where you live. I chose ten years post-graduation, because that allows enough time for most graduates to pursue further studies, explore various starter jobs, and land in a career-type occupation.
Here are the majors associated with the lowest earnings ten years after graduation. Note that $70,000 was roughly the midpoint of the US middle household income quintile in 2019. , i.e., pretty much the middle of the middle-class**.
Under $70,000/year: African-American Studies, American Studies, Apparel Merchandising and Management, Anthropology, Art, Asian American Studies, Asian Studies, Behavioral Science, Botany, Child Development/Early Childhood Education, Chinese, Cinema/Film, Classics, Dance, Deaf Studies, English, Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics, Fine and Creative Arts, Fisheries, French, Gender/Ethnic/Women’s Studies, German, Gerontology, Graphic Design, History, Hotel and Restaurant/Hospitality Management, Human Development, Human Services, Humanities, Interdisciplinary Studies, Interior Design, International Relations/International Affairs, International Studies/Global Studies, Japanese, Language Studies/World Languages and Cultures, Latin American Studies, Liberal Studies, Liberal Studies and Teaching Credential (Blended), Linguistics, Mexican-American/Chicano/Chicana Studies, Music, Music Education, Natural Resources Planning and Interpretation, Ornamental Horticulture, Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion, Photography, Psychology, Radio-Telecommunications/Telecommunications, Recreation Administration, Rehabilitation Counseling, Religious Studies, Sociology, Spanish, Theater Arts, Translation and Interpretation Studies, Wildlife Management, Women’s Studies, World Languages and Cultures, and Zoology.
Here are the majors associated with the highest earnings ten years after graduation. Note the frequency of engineering majors.
Over $100,000: Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Architectural Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Clinical Science/Biomedical/Laboratory Science, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Systems, Construction Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology/Management, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering, Engineering Science, Engineering Technology, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Resources Engineering, Fire Protection Administration and Technology, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Marine Engineering Technology, Marine Transportation, Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering, Nursing (RN-to-Nursing Degree and Pre-Licensure), Software Engineering, Statistics, Survey Engineering, Viticulture, Vocational Education/Occupational Studies.
The following charts list the 10-year median earnings for all 185 majors in the California State University system:
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* This was a design-your-own major.
** In other words, a household with one earner making $70K a year would be solidly middle-class in most areas of the country. However, most households of prime working-age adults (25-54) have more than one earner.