The degree fields with the strongest early earnings
Bachelor's degree fields ranked by median earnings five years out
| # | Name | Median 5-yr earnings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Engineering147 programs reporting | $107,903 |
| 2 | Computer Science263 programs reporting | $105,149 |
| 3 | Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering243 programs reporting | $99,094 |
| 4 | Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering57 programs reporting | $97,915 |
| 5 | Chemical Engineering153 programs reporting | $97,080 |
| 6 | Biomedical/Medical Engineering93 programs reporting | $94,444 |
| 7 | Industrial Engineering72 programs reporting | $93,460 |
| 8 | Statistics32 programs reporting | $93,268 |
| 9 | Construction Management40 programs reporting | $92,924 |
| 10 | Construction Engineering Technology/Technician35 programs reporting | $91,651 |
collegecost.fyi · Source: federal College Scorecard
The top of this ranking is what you would expect: computer engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering lead on median earnings five years after graduation.
The more interesting part is further down. Construction Management lands among the engineering fields — a reminder that strong-earning paths do not all look like the standard "learn to code" advice.
One caution: each number is a median across every school that offers the field, from low-cost public programs to expensive private ones. A field can look strong on earnings and still be a weak deal at a specific, pricey school. Earnings are only one side of return on investment.
Use this ranking to narrow down, then check a specific school and program in the calculator — that is where net price, debt, and payback time turn a field average into a real decision.
Each field is a 4-digit CIP code. The value is the median of the median 5-year earnings reported across every bachelor's program in that field, using College Scorecard field-of-study data. Only fields with at least 30 reporting programs are included, so a single outlier program cannot define a field.
These are median earnings among reported field-of-study cohorts, not guaranteed salaries. Reported earnings cover students who received federal aid. A field-level median blends schools with very different costs and selectivity, so it hides wide variation between schools and between individual graduates.
Source: federal College Scorecard, via collegecost.fyi.