OBSERVED EARNINGS · LIKE-FOR-LIKE CATEGORIES

Highest-paying majors

National median earnings four years after completion, keeping field and credential level visible.

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

Degree levelAll credentials Associate Bachelor’s Master’s Doctorate

Arts, Media & Humanities56 ranked field-and-credential categories with at least 10 earnings observations

1Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationMaster's Degree · 30 programs$81,298 2Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationMaster's Degree · 20 programs$79,242 3JournalismMaster's Degree · 22 programs$72,760 4Design and Applied ArtsMaster's Degree · 21 programs$69,930 5Communication and Media StudiesMaster's Degree · 61 programs$68,404 6Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesMaster's Degree · 35 programs$67,332 7English Language and Literature, GeneralDoctoral Degree · 13 programs$66,586 8Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementMaster's Degree · 21 programs$64,819 9Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's Degree · 198 programs$62,087 10English Language and Literature, GeneralMaster's Degree · 43 programs$61,269 11Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, OtherBachelor's Degree · 24 programs$59,122 12MusicDoctoral Degree · 30 programs$57,796 13Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesMaster's Degree · 76 programs$57,116 14PhilosophyBachelor's Degree · 123 programs$56,849 15HistoryMaster's Degree · 36 programs$56,361 16Romance Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsBachelor's Degree · 258 programs$56,122 17JournalismBachelor's Degree · 196 programs$54,396 18Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's Degree · 699 programs$54,091 19Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesNon-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification) · 25 programs$53,722 20Film/Video and Photographic ArtsMaster's Degree · 22 programs$52,729 21Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftMaster's Degree · 42 programs$52,713 22Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's Degree · 527 programs$52,545 23Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's Degree · 338 programs$52,204 24East Asian Languages, Literatures, and LinguisticsBachelor's Degree · 26 programs$52,011 25HistoryBachelor's Degree · 506 programs$50,592 26Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and ServicesBachelor's Degree · 102 programs$50,571 27Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationBachelor's Degree · 165 programs$49,359 28English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's Degree · 614 programs$48,926 29Fine and Studio ArtsMaster's Degree · 60 programs$48,763 30Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementBachelor's Degree · 48 programs$48,194 31Visual and Performing Arts, OtherBachelor's Degree · 12 programs$48,155 32Religion/Religious StudiesBachelor's Degree · 51 programs$47,791 33MusicMaster's Degree · 98 programs$47,357 34Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesBachelor's Degree · 153 programs$47,141 35American Sign LanguageBachelor's Degree · 22 programs$45,475 36Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 11 programs$44,556 37Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 114 programs$44,349 38Film/Video and Photographic ArtsBachelor's Degree · 162 programs$44,232 39Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's Degree · 64 programs$44,143 40MusicBachelor's Degree · 314 programs$43,385 41Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · 997 programs$42,789 42Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's Degree · 465 programs$41,265 43Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralBachelor's Degree · 81 programs$41,156 44DanceBachelor's Degree · 72 programs$40,657 45Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's Degree · 282 programs$40,073 46English Language and Literature/Letters, OtherBachelor's Degree · 17 programs$39,287 47Design and Applied ArtsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 35 programs$38,351 48Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationAssociate's Degree · 15 programs$37,102 49Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's Degree · 116 programs$37,065 50MusicAssociate's Degree · 13 programs$36,153 51English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's Degree · 15 programs$34,868 52Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's Degree · 38 programs$34,728 53Film/Video and Photographic ArtsUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 15 programs$33,622 54Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralAssociate's Degree · 14 programs$32,304 55Film/Video and Photographic ArtsAssociate's Degree · 15 programs$32,202 56English Language and Literature, GeneralUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 12 programs$29,719

Field families are reproducible groupings of federal two-digit CIP subject codes. Rankings require at least 10 programs with reported year-4 earnings; missing or suppressed values are not replaced with zero.