Science And Math Majors Earn The Most Money After Graduation

Students studying science or math in college have a higher employment rate and salary than other majors after graduation, according to a new report from the Department of Education.

The DOE report looked at four years of data on college graduates and found that STEM majors - science, technology, engineering, and math - on average earn $65,000, while non-STEM majors earned about $15,500 less. STEM majors were also more likely to be employed and hold only one full-time job, rather than a part-time job or multiple jobs.

Overall, the information clearly pointed to the advantages of studying a STEM field in terms of employment and salary. As the Associated Press reports,

The survey found a strong correlation between earning money and highly specialized degrees. More than 95 percent of grads who studied computer and information sciences, for example, were employed full-time at the time of the survey and earned $72,600 on average. Engineering students reported similar job and salary prospects. That's compared with a humanities graduate who was more likely to report working multiple jobs and earn a full-time salary averaging only $43,100.

According to the DOE survey, engineering and engineering technology was the highest paying degree, with an average annual salary of $73,700.

Here are the average salaries for STEM majors and non-STEM majors, as well as a breakdown of how much students with specific degrees earn:

• STEM major (overall) - $65,000
• Computer and information sciences - $72,600
• Engineering and engineering technology - $73,700
• Biological and physical sciences, science technology, mathematics, and agricultural sciences - $50,400
• Non-STEM majors (overall) - $49,500
• General studies - $53,700
• Social sciences - $46,700
• Humanities - $43,100
• Health care fields - $58,900
• Business - $55,500
• Education -$40,500

Read the full Department of Education report here >>