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Highest-Earning College Degrees in 2026

100 programs ranked · Updated 2026

Programs where graduates earn the most in Year 1 after graduation.

Programs Ranked

100

Avg Earnings

$112,342/yr

Avg DW Score

73/100

#1 Program

Computer Science

California Institute of Technology

Highest-Earning College Degrees

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

#	Program	DW Score	Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
1	Computer Science California Institute of Technology · Pasadena, CA	75 65–77	$173,344/yr	Very High	5.9x
2	Computer Science Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA	76 65–79	$171,264/yr	Very High	8.9x
3	Mathematics and Computer Science Harvey Mudd College · Claremont, CA	73 64–75	$166,573/yr	Very High	5.3x
4	Computer Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA	76 64–78	$154,492/yr	Very High	8.1x
5	Computer Science Cornell University · Ithaca, NY	75 63–77	$152,656/yr	Very High	7.3x
6	Computer Science Harvard University · Cambridge, MA	76 64–79	$152,251/yr	Very High	8.3x
7	Computer & Information Science University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA	78 65–84	$146,204/yr	Very High	10.3x
8	Allied Health & Diagnostic Professions Barry University · Miami, FL	78 77–75	$144,190/yr	Moderate	9.8x
9	Computer Engineering University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA	86 76–89	$141,588/yr	Very High	43.2x
10	Computer Engineering University of Washington-Bothell Campus · Bothell, WA	86 76–89	$141,588/yr	Very High	43.5x
11	Statistics Harvard University · Cambridge, MA	60 50–64	$141,116/yr	Very High	8.7x
12	Electrical Engineering Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA	60 53–62	$139,337/yr	Very High	6.2x
13	Electrical Engineering University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA	76 68–79	$137,295/yr	Very High	39.5x
14	Computer & Information Science University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA	91 81–93	$136,099/yr	Very High	38.8x
15	Allied Health & Diagnostic Professions University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA	85 82–86	$135,384/yr	Moderate	29.4x
16	Computer & Information Science Yale University · New Haven, CT	77 64–83	$133,293/yr	Very High	9.5x
17	Computer & Information Science Rice University · Houston, TX	76 65–80	$131,154/yr	Very High	8.2x
18	Statistics University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA	57 49–59	$129,732/yr	Very High	3.9x
19	Allied Health & Diagnostic Professions Wagner College · Staten Island, NY	71 69–70	$129,269/yr	Moderate	6.3x
20	Mathematics and Computer Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA	71 63–74	$126,153/yr	Very High	4.2x
21	Nursing (RN/BSN) Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA	91 85–92	$125,646/yr	High	39.1x
22	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA	91 85–92	$124,392/yr	High	56.0x
23	Finance University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA	77 69–83	$122,698/yr	Very High	8.2x
24	Mathematics Duke University · Durham, NC	62 55–64	$121,088/yr	Very High	4.0x
25	Nursing (RN/BSN) Samuel Merritt University · Oakland, CA	74 68–74	$119,486/yr	High	—
26	Nursing (RN/BSN) California State University-Stanislaus · Turlock, CA	91 85–91	$119,356/yr	High	38.2x
27	Nursing (RN/BSN) Pacific Union College · Angwin, CA	80 76–78	$119,258/yr	High	8.9x
28	Computer Engineering University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA	82 71–83	$118,232/yr	Very High	15.6x
29	Electrical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA	60 52–63	$117,345/yr	Very High	6.9x
30	Computer & Information Science Northeastern University · Boston, MA	74 64–76	$115,587/yr	Very High	4.9x
31	Pharmacy Southwestern Oklahoma State University · Weatherford, OK	92 86–94	$115,284/yr	High	33.7x
32	Applied Mathematics Harvard University · Cambridge, MA	63 55–67	$114,279/yr	Very High	6.5x
33	Business Administration Manhattan College · Riverdale, NY	80 75–81	$113,777/yr	High	4.5x
34	Computer Engineering California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA	86 76–89	$111,560/yr	Very High	32.0x
35	Computer Engineering Duke University · Durham, NC	69 58–73	$111,145/yr	Very High	5.6x
36	Mathematics Tufts University · Medford, MA	62 54–64	$110,512/yr	Very High	3.1x
37	Operations Research Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY	58 49–61	$110,457/yr	Very High	6.2x
38	Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians Excelsior University · Albany, NY	57 54–58	$110,398/yr	Moderate	—
39	Mathematics and Computer Science University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL	86 77–87	$109,843/yr	Very High	16.2x
40	Engineering Franklin W Olin College of Engineering · Needham, MA	57 52–58	$109,455/yr	High	4.0x
41	Mathematics Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA	64 54–71	$109,288/yr	Very High	8.4x
42	Mathematics Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH	62 54–64	$108,255/yr	Very High	3.1x
43	Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering Maine Maritime Academy · Castine, ME	73 67–73	$108,130/yr	High	20.6x
44	Allied Health & Diagnostic Professions John Patrick University of Health and Applied Sciences · South Bend, IN	81 79–79	$106,833/yr	Moderate	12.7x
45	Bioethics/Medical Ethics Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing · New York, NY	70 65–71	$106,754/yr	High	—
46	Business Economics Washington University in St Louis · Saint Louis, MO	62 57–64	$106,701/yr	Very High	3.2x
47	Finance Georgetown University · Washington, DC	75 68–78	$106,218/yr	Very High	4.9x
48	Cognitive Science Stanford University · Stanford, CA	65 64–65	$105,695/yr	Moderate	3.2x
49	Allied Health & Diagnostic Professions SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University · Brooklyn, NY	68 64–69	$105,434/yr	Moderate	—
50	Medical Laboratory Science CUNY York College · Jamaica, NY	81 78–82	$105,425/yr	Moderate	34.8x
51	Management Science & Analytics University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA	76 69–77	$104,502/yr	Very High	3.0x
52	Fire Protection & Safety Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL	86 82–86	$104,017/yr	Moderate	18.6x
53	Economics Harvard University · Cambridge, MA	72 65–76	$103,993/yr	Very High	5.8x
54	Mathematics Vanderbilt University · Nashville, TN	62 54–65	$103,812/yr	Very High	4.5x
55	Liberal Arts & General Studies Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA	58 60–56	$103,135/yr	Low	3.3x
56	Public Administration Barry University · Miami, FL	81 77–82	$103,107/yr	High	4.4x
57	Software Development University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA	70 60–74	$103,071/yr	Very High	5.1x
58	Economics Princeton University · Princeton, NJ	71 65–73	$103,041/yr	Very High	3.3x
59	Information Science Northwestern University · Evanston, IL	71 61–71	$102,998/yr	Very High	2.9x
60	Mathematics and Statistics, Other Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH	55 46–57	$102,938/yr	Very High	2.9x
61	Finance Washington University in St Louis · Saint Louis, MO	76 68–80	$102,814/yr	Very High	6.6x
62	Computer Programming DigiPen Institute of Technology · Redmond, WA	69 59–72	$102,580/yr	Very High	7.1x
63	Management Science & Analytics New York University · New York, NY	77 69–78	$102,572/yr	Very High	3.2x
64	Human-Computer Interaction California College of the Arts · San Francisco, CA	64 56–65	$101,801/yr	High	3.4x
65	Medical Laboratory Science Mercy University · Dobbs Ferry, NY	75 74–72	$101,516/yr	Moderate	10.5x
66	Nuclear Engineering Technologies/Technicians Excelsior University · Albany, NY	54 52–56	$101,386/yr	Moderate	—
67	Engineering-Related Fields Stanford University · Stanford, CA	65 60–68	$100,788/yr	High	5.8x
68	Business Administration Bismarck State College · Bismarck, ND	96 90–98	$100,668/yr	High	61.8x
69	Electrical Engineering Cornell University · Ithaca, NY	58 51–60	$100,516/yr	Very High	4.0x
70	Operations Research Princeton University · Princeton, NJ	57 49–57	$100,354/yr	Very High	3.2x
71	Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering Massachusetts Maritime Academy · Buzzards Bay, MA	74 68–75	$100,024/yr	High	26.1x
72	Management Science & Analytics Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA	76 69–77	$99,843/yr	Very High	3.1x
73	Public Health The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · Houston, TX	70 64–72	$99,671/yr	High	—
74	Construction Management California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA	86 80–88	$99,649/yr	High	34.3x
75	Finance University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN	75 68–78	$99,222/yr	Very High	4.5x
76	Applied Mathematics Brown University · Providence, RI	61 53–64	$99,193/yr	Very High	4.0x
77	Real Estate University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA	62 56–65	$98,763/yr	High	4.3x
78	Business Administration Maine Maritime Academy · Castine, ME	93 88–94	$98,743/yr	High	15.7x
79	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies California State University Maritime Academy · Vallejo, CA	81 77–81	$98,661/yr	Moderate	31.1x
80	Economics Duke University · Durham, NC	72 64–76	$98,649/yr	Very High	5.5x
81	Information Science Norwich University · Northfield, VT	72 62–73	$98,551/yr	Very High	4.0x
82	Health Sciences Touro University · New York, NY	67 63–65	$98,520/yr	High	6.8x
83	Software Development University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI	83 73–84	$98,117/yr	Very High	13.2x
84	Economics Stanford University · Stanford, CA	72 64–75	$98,104/yr	Very High	4.9x
85	Fire Protection & Safety Waldorf University · Forest City, IA	77 76–74	$97,731/yr	Moderate	8.9x
86	Applied Mathematics Stevens Institute of Technology · Hoboken, NJ	61 54–63	$97,700/yr	Very High	3.0x
87	Statistics Duke University · Durham, NC	56 47–58	$97,197/yr	Very High	3.6x
88	Electrical Engineering The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX	75 68–77	$96,997/yr	Very High	25.4x
89	Operations Research Cornell University · Ithaca, NY	57 48–59	$96,377/yr	Very High	4.7x
90	Business Administration Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA	79 72–81	$95,891/yr	High	5.2x
91	Medical Laboratory Science Farmingdale State College · Farmingdale, NY	81 77–81	$95,766/yr	Moderate	26.5x
92	Systems Science and Theory Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA	67 65–68	$95,598/yr	Moderate	4.2x
93	Software Development Western Governors University · Salt Lake City, UT	88 78–90	$95,292/yr	Very High	27.7x
94	Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY	66 57–70	$94,722/yr	Very High	4.5x
95	Applied Mathematics Northwestern University · Evanston, IL	60 53–62	$94,684/yr	Very High	2.6x
96	Economics Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH	71 64–75	$94,675/yr	Very High	4.8x
97	Business (General) The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX	95 89–95	$94,041/yr	High	19.1x
98	Business Administration University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI	93 86–95	$93,674/yr	High	19.4x
99	Management Science & Analytics University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA	87 80–86	$93,565/yr	Very High	10.1x
100	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach · Daytona Beach, FL	64 63–64	$93,433/yr	Moderate	4.5x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score (0–100), combining graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI. Earnings data is from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.