OBSERVED EARNINGS · LIKE-FOR-LIKE CATEGORIESHighest-paying majors
National median earnings four years after completion, keeping field and credential level visible.
Social & Behavioral Sciences44 ranked field-and-credential categories with at least 10 earnings observations
1EconomicsMaster's Degree · 22 programs$104,0852Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyDoctoral Degree · 97 programs$100,2223Psychology, GeneralDoctoral Degree · 39 programs$96,5344International Relations and National Security StudiesMaster's Degree · 40 programs$91,0525Geography and CartographyMaster's Degree · 17 programs$87,1656EconomicsBachelor's Degree · 390 programs$79,4687Area StudiesMaster's Degree · 10 programs$77,9818Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyGraduate/Professional Certificate · 26 programs$75,8189Political Science and GovernmentMaster's Degree · 16 programs$75,52310Psychology, OtherMaster's Degree · 14 programs$67,98511Psychology, GeneralMaster's Degree · 92 programs$67,97312CriminologyMaster's Degree · 15 programs$67,16313International Relations and National Security StudiesBachelor's Degree · 128 programs$66,30814Foods, Nutrition, and Related ServicesMaster's Degree · 26 programs$65,91815Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's Degree · 335 programs$65,27816Research and Experimental PsychologyMaster's Degree · 13 programs$62,66117Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's Degree · 609 programs$61,92918Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, GeneralMaster's Degree · 10 programs$60,76619Urban Studies/AffairsBachelor's Degree · 31 programs$59,59620Geography and CartographyUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 17 programs$59,55421Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesMaster's Degree · 27 programs$59,49622Apparel and TextilesBachelor's Degree · 60 programs$58,04623Geography and CartographyBachelor's Degree · 130 programs$57,75124Area StudiesBachelor's Degree · 84 programs$57,20825Research and Experimental PsychologyBachelor's Degree · 111 programs$56,83026Foods, Nutrition, and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · 51 programs$55,65927CriminologyBachelor's Degree · 126 programs$55,62128Social Sciences, OtherBachelor's Degree · 40 programs$54,88829Family and Consumer Economics and Related StudiesBachelor's Degree · 19 programs$53,05530Housing and Human EnvironmentsBachelor's Degree · 12 programs$52,86131Social Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree · 95 programs$52,09532SociologyBachelor's Degree · 509 programs$52,09433Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyBachelor's Degree · 77 programs$51,72734Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group StudiesBachelor's Degree · 120 programs$51,56535Psychology, OtherBachelor's Degree · 13 programs$50,43036Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · 1,139 programs$49,96037Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · 185 programs$46,95438Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree · 50 programs$46,13639AnthropologyBachelor's Degree · 208 programs$45,92040SociologyAssociate's Degree · 29 programs$45,16141Social Sciences, GeneralAssociate's Degree · 38 programs$44,26742Psychology, GeneralAssociate's Degree · 124 programs$38,61243Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesAssociate's Degree · 96 programs$35,27644Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · 81 programs$31,837Field 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.