Top Majors by DegreeOutlook Score
The highest-scoring majors in America and the best school for each — combining earnings, AI resilience, job market demand, and ROI.
| # | Major | Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration California State University-Stanislaus · CA | 91 | $119,356/yr | High | 38.2x |
| 2 | Computer and Information Sciences, General University of California-Los Angeles · CA | 91 | $136,099/yr | Very High | 38.8x |
| 3 | Building/Construction Finishing Utah Valley University · UT | 91 | $74,527/yr | Low | 39.3x |
| 4 | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods University of Wisconsin-Madison · WI | 91 | $83,260/yr | Very High | 27.3x |
| 5 | Finance and Financial Management Services Brigham Young University · UT | 90 | $83,876/yr | Very High | 44.7x |
| 6 | Accounting and Related Services Binghamton University · NY | 87 | $74,151/yr | Very High | 22.9x |
| 7 | General Sales Western Governors University · UT | 86 | $93,151/yr | High | 29.3x |
| 8 | Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Hawaii at Hilo · HI | 85 | $63,776/yr | High | 44.1x |
| 9 | Economics University of California-Berkeley · CA | 84 | $80,446/yr | Very High | 20.2x |
| 10 | Allied Health Diagnostic California State University-Northridge · CA | 83 | $100,724/yr | Moderate | 36.4x |
Explore by Major
The most popular fields of study. Click any major to see school rankings, career paths, and salary data.
Business Administration
$46,892/yr61/100
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
$75,274/yr77/100
Psychology, General
$31,706/yr35/100
Biology, General
$32,220/yr38/100
Accounting and Related Services
$53,725/yr69/100
Teacher Education
$41,412/yr52/100
Criminal Justice and Corrections
$38,544/yr52/100
Communication and Media Studies
$35,147/yr36/100
Health and Physical Education/Fitness
$31,057/yr38/100
Political Science and Government
$36,685/yr46/100
Best Value Schools
Schools with the highest average DegreeOutlook Score across all their programs. Public schools dominate — lower tuition drives higher ROI.
| School | Score | Tuition | Avg Earnings | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Governors University UT · Private NP | 73 | $8,300 | $70,446 | 14 |
| Colorado State University Global CO · Public | 73 | $8,400 | $59,012 | 11 |
| Capella University MN · Private FP | 71 | $14,436 | $64,188 | 10 |
| Columbia Southern University AL · Private FP | 71 | $5,808 | $63,373 | 12 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus GA · Public | 68 | $11,764 | $68,384 | 19 |
| Franklin University OH · Private NP | 68 | $9,577 | $54,074 | 14 |
| University of Maryland Global Campus MD · Public | 68 | $7,992 | $55,493 | 25 |
| Oregon Institute of Technology OR · Public | 67 | $12,687 | $63,715 | 10 |
| Colorado School of Mines CO · Public | 67 | $21,186 | $72,086 | 13 |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology MO · Public | 65 | $14,278 | $68,162 | 19 |
Most AI-Resistant Majors
Fields with the lowest AI automation exposure that still earn $35K+. These careers are hardest for AI to disrupt.
| Major | Score | Avg Earnings | AI Risk | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | 33 | $37,173 | Low | 424 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research | 60 | $65,728 | Moderate | 99 |
| Industrial Production Technologies | 61 | $60,267 | Moderate | 48 |
| Dental Support Services | 57 | $60,938 | Moderate | 74 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies | 62 | $62,227 | Moderate | 59 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic | 57 | $59,453 | Moderate | 195 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 38 | $35,098 | Moderate | 57 |
| Fire Protection | 63 | $68,085 | Moderate | 20 |
| Forestry | 43 | $42,703 | Moderate | 29 |
| Food Science and Technology | 58 | $49,845 | Moderate | 25 |
Highest Earning Majors
Majors with the highest average graduate earnings one year after graduation.
| Major | Score | Avg Earnings | AI Risk | Schools |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | 77 | $78,695 | Very High | 174 |
| Electrical | 69 | $77,517 | Very High | 262 |
| Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration | 77 | $75,274 | High | 990 |
| Industrial Engineering | 66 | $73,874 | High | 93 |
| Computer Science | 75 | $73,714 | Very High | 345 |
| Aerospace | 69 | $73,060 | High | 57 |
| Construction Management | 75 | $72,738 | High | 56 |
| Chemical Engineering | 68 | $72,288 | High | 158 |
| Construction Engineering Technologies | 65 | $71,755 | Very High | 45 |
| Materials Engineering | 63 | $71,341 | High | 33 |
How DegreeOutlook Scores Work
Real Earnings Data
Actual graduate salaries from the U.S. Department of Education, not self-reported surveys.
AI Risk Analysis
Every career path rated for AI exposure using peer-reviewed research on task automation.
3 Scenarios
Optimistic, Base Case, and Pessimistic projections for how AI reshapes each field over 10 years.
0–100 Score
A single number combining earnings, ROI, job market size, and AI resilience into one comparable metric.