DegreeVerdict
ROI Calculator
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 fieldsSTEM & ComputingHealth & ClinicalBusiness & ManagementSocial & Behavioral SciencesEducationArts, Media & HumanitiesLaw & Public ServiceTrades & Applied Fields
Degree levelAssociate + bachelor’sAssociateBachelor’s
STEM & Computing79 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%3Engineering ScienceAssociate's Degree · institution price context $7,396/yr+199%4Engineering, GeneralAssociate's Degree · institution price context $7,621/yr+187%5Systems EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $17,530/yr+179%6Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,088/yr+158%7Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,276/yr+156%8Computer EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,495/yr+135%9Petroleum EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $17,673/yr+130%10Construction EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,516/yr+121%11Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,545/yr+111%12Industrial EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,384/yr+108%13Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $12,754/yr+107%14Computer ScienceBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,093/yr+107%15Civil Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,069/yr+105%16Nuclear EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,401/yr+101%17Chemical EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,885/yr+100%18Construction Engineering Technology/TechnicianBachelor's Degree · institution price context $14,638/yr+99%19Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,350/yr+97%20Engineering, OtherBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,529/yr+91%21Materials EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,493/yr+84%22Applied MathematicsBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,894/yr+84%23Biomedical/Medical EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $21,718/yr+84%24Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $13,835/yr+84%25Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,830/yr+78%26Computer ScienceAssociate's Degree · institution price context $9,941/yr+75%27Engineering-Related FieldsBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,045/yr+74%28Manufacturing EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,990/yr+71%29Quality Control and Safety Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · institution price context $13,952/yr+68%30StatisticsBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,776/yr+66%31Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · institution price context $22,913/yr+62%32Engineering PhysicsBachelor's Degree · institution price context $22,486/yr+61%33Engineering, GeneralBachelor's Degree · institution price context $22,464/yr+60%34Architectural EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $22,030/yr+58%35Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,366/yr+57%36Agricultural EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,298/yr+56%37Civil EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,465/yr+55%38MathematicsAssociate's Degree · institution price context $8,306/yr+55%39Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · institution price context $17,656/yr+53%40Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · institution price context $15,078/yr+51%41Information Science/StudiesBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,842/yr+50%42Information Science/StudiesAssociate's Degree · institution price context $15,027/yr+50%43Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · institution price context $17,946/yr+46%44Environmental/Environmental Health EngineeringBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,809/yr+44%45Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, OtherBachelor's Degree · institution price context $17,968/yr+43%46Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,384/yr+42%47Biological and Biomedical Sciences, OtherBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,656/yr+42%48Engineering Technologies/Technicians, GeneralBachelor's Degree · institution price context $16,210/yr+39%49Computer Engineering Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,556/yr+32%50Computer ProgrammingAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,261/yr+30%51PhysicsBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,182/yr+29%52Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $11,193/yr+29%53BiotechnologyBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,331/yr+25%54Computer ProgrammingBachelor's Degree · institution price context $22,918/yr+23%55Civil Engineering Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's Degree · institution price context $17,445/yr+22%56Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,444/yr+14%57Computer Systems AnalysisBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,259/yr+2%58Environmental Control Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $15,564/yr+0%59MathematicsBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,108/yr−2%60Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementAssociate's Degree · institution price context $13,472/yr−2%61Computer Systems Networking and TelecommunicationsAssociate's Degree · institution price context $14,803/yr−9%62Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical SciencesBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,020/yr−9%63Computer Engineering Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · institution price context $12,231/yr−12%64ChemistryBachelor's Degree · institution price context $18,373/yr−16%65Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralAssociate's Degree · institution price context $10,385/yr−17%66Microbiological Sciences and ImmunologyBachelor's Degree · institution price context $16,118/yr−17%67Data ProcessingAssociate's Degree · institution price context $8,574/yr−23%68Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologyBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,685/yr−24%69Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesBachelor's Degree · institution price context $16,782/yr−37%70Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's Degree · institution price context $24,619/yr−40%71Physiology, Pathology and Related SciencesBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,068/yr−42%72Atmospheric Sciences and MeteorologyBachelor's Degree · institution price context $21,154/yr−44%73Physical Sciences, GeneralAssociate's Degree · institution price context $8,368/yr−51%74Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · institution price context $20,497/yr−52%75Computer Software and Media ApplicationsBachelor's Degree · institution price context $25,150/yr−76%76Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyBachelor's Degree · institution price context $19,979/yr−80%77Biology, GeneralAssociate's Degree · institution price context $8,342/yr−98%78Zoology/Animal BiologyBachelor's Degree · institution price context $17,582/yr−103%79Computer Software and Media ApplicationsAssociate's Degree · institution price context $15,221/yr−155%

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.