Highest Paying Majors at Public Universities 2026

Not all college degrees deliver the same return on investment. Here are the key findings from our analysis of U.S. Department of Education salary data.

Highest Paying Majors at Public Universities

1. 1. Computer Science — $95,000 median
2. 2. Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical) — $78,000 median
3. 3. Nursing — $68,000 median
4. 4. Data Science & Analytics — $75,000 median
5. 5. Accounting — $58,000 median
6. 6. Finance — $62,000 median
7. 7. Cybersecurity — $72,000 median
8. 8. Economics — $58,000 median
9. 9. Mathematics & Statistics — $65,000 median
10. 10. Public Health — $48,000 median

What This Means for You

State schools dominate on ROI because their lower costs mean the break-even point comes years earlier. A CS degree from Georgia Tech or UIUC can pay for itself in under 2 years.

Want to see the data for your specific school and major? Search on Ask Kinsley to get your personalized Value Score.

Methodology

All salary figures are median earnings 1 year after graduation from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Rankings reflect bachelor's degree programs only. For full methodology, see our methodology page.