This chart displays the median salaries of graduates across major categories, highlighting clear trends in earning potential based on field of study. Overall, it shows that majors are linked to different salary outcomes, likely influenced by the kinds of careers graduates tend to pursue within each field.

At the top of the salary range are STEM fields, with Engineering and Computers & Mathematics leading significantly. These majors tend to lead to higher-paying career paths, likely reflecting strong market demand and specialized skillsets.

In contrast, majors such as Arts, Education, Psychology & Social Work, and Humanities & Liberal Arts fall on the lower end of the earnings spectrum. While valuable in non-monetary ways, these fields may offer slower financial returns.

Interestingly, Business and Health fall near the middle of the salary spectrum, suggesting these majors offer financially stable, though not top-paying, career options.

This chart displays the average earnings of graduates one year after completing their degree, organized by major category. In addition to highlighting financial trends across the fields, it also reflects gaps in the data, particularly for majors with limited reporting or lower early workforce participation. These limitations may affect how accurately certain fields can be interpreted.

Engineering and Computers & Mathematics lead in 1-year earnings, indicating strong entry-level job opportunities.

Business and Agriculture & Natural Resources offer solid short-term income, though not at the very top.

The lack of reported earnings in some majors may reflect limited early employment opportunities, low reporting rates, or nontraditional post-graduation paths such as graduate school.

This chart displays the average student debt by major category, reflecting how much students typically borrow across different fields. While debt levels are somewhat consistent, there are still noticeable differences tied to the types of programs and institutions associated with each major.

Communications & Journalism, Engineering, and Social Science have the highest reported average debt in this chart.

Fields like Agriculture & Natural Resources and Computers & Mathematics appear at the lower end of the borrowing spectrum.

Most majors cluster in a relatively narrow range, suggesting that average borrowing amounts do not vary as widely as earnings do.

These findings suggest that student debt burdens may not always align with future income potential, an important factor for long-term financial planning.

This scatterplot compares 1-year earnings against average student debt by major category, offering a visual snapshot of each field’s short-term return on investment (ROI). It helps highlight which majors lead to relatively high earnings for the level of debt incurred, and which offer less favorable tradeoffs.

Engineering stands out with the highest earnings and moderate debt, suggesting one of the strongest short-term ROIs.

Computers & Mathematics and Business also perform well, combining above-average earnings with controlled debt levels.

Fields like Arts, Biology & Life Science, and Education show low earnings relative to debt, suggesting weaker short-term financial returns.

The chart reveals that not all high-debt fields offer high compensation, reinforcing the importance of aligning major choice with career and financial goals.

This chart shows the total number of graduates across major categories, highlighting the popularity and scale of different academic fields. It helps contextualize how widespread certain majors are, which can relate to both job market saturation and educational demand.

Business produces the largest number of graduates by far, more than double most other fields.

Education and Humanities & Liberal Arts also have substantial graduate numbers, indicating broad enrollment.

Fields like Interdisciplinary, Agriculture & Natural Resources, and Law & Public Policy have relatively few graduates.

High graduate volume may signal greater competition for jobs, while smaller fields may offer more niche opportunities.

This pie chart breaks down the share of total graduates by major category, offering insight into how students are distributed across academic fields. It reveals which majors dominate in terms of popularity and enrollment, and which ones represent more niche areas of study.

Business accounts for nearly a quarter of all graduates, making it by far the most common major category.

Education and Humanities & Liberal Arts also represent large portions of the graduate population.

Fields like Interdisciplinary, Agriculture & Natural Resources, and Law & Public Policy have the smallest slices, indicating lower enrollment or specialization.

The chart suggests that degree popularity does not necessarily align with salary or ROI, highlighting tradeoffs between scale and outcome.

This chart estimates the net financial return one year after graduation for each major category, calculated by subtracting average student debt from average 1-year earnings. It highlights which majors yield the highest immediate payoff, and which offer little financial margin early on.

Computers & Mathematics and Engineering stand out with the highest net returns, exceeding $30,000.

Business and Agriculture & Natural Resources follow, with solid net gains in the first year post-graduation.

Education, Social Science, and Biology & Life Science show more modest returns, suggesting a slower financial path to breaking even.

Communications & Journalism has a negative net return, meaning students in this field, on average, earn less than their total debt just one year after graduating, a warning about short-term financial risk.