ASSOCIATE + BACHELOR’S · ILLUSTRATIVE ECONOMIC ROI

Best ROI majors

Compare degree fields using reported earnings, college-wide average net price, expected study time and earnings forgone while enrolled.

Field familyAll fields STEM & Computing Health & Clinical Business & Management Social & Behavioral Sciences Education Arts, Media & Humanities Law & Public Service Trades & Applied Fields

Degree levelAssociate + bachelor’s Associate Bachelor’s

All fields100 qualifying field-and-credential categories

1Physical Science Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $6,852/yr+349%2Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,744/yr+231%3Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,650/yr+209%4Engineering ScienceAssociate's Degree · institution price context $7,396/yr+199%5Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,647/yr+194%6Engineering, GeneralAssociate's Degree · institution price context $7,621/yr+187%7Systems EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $17,530/yr+179%8Fire ProtectionAssociate's Degree · institution price context $8,669/yr+164%9Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,088/yr+158%10Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,276/yr+156%11Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $13,464/yr+154%12Air TransportationAssociate's Degree · institution price context $15,886/yr+152%13Computer EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,495/yr+135%14Petroleum EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $17,673/yr+130%15Construction EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,516/yr+121%16Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,545/yr+111%17Industrial EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,384/yr+108%18Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $12,754/yr+107%19Computer ScienceBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,093/yr+107%20Civil Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,069/yr+105%21Nuclear EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,401/yr+101%22Chemical EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,885/yr+100%23Construction Engineering Technology/TechnicianBachelor's Degree · institution price context $14,638/yr+99%24Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,350/yr+97%25Construction ManagementBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,163/yr+92%26Engineering, OtherBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,529/yr+91%27Materials EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,493/yr+84%28Applied MathematicsBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,894/yr+84%29Biomedical/Medical EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $21,718/yr+84%30Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $13,835/yr+84%

The ROI scenario compares reported earnings with a $45,000 annual earnings baseline and includes study-time opportunity cost. Annual cost is the average college-wide net price among institutions reporting the field, not program tuition. Certificate and graduate credentials are excluded because that proxy is not reliable enough for those programs.