25 College Majors That Pay the Most Within 5 Years

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Making $70,000 shortly after graduating college sounds nice — but there’s only one major that can get you there, according to a new analysis.

If you guess something tech-related, you are right. Glassdoor’s new report on the 50 highest-paying majors, released Monday, shows that computer science is the only major with which you can reel in a median base salary of $70,000 or more within five years of graduating.

In fact, all of the top 10 majors are in or related to the so-called STEM fields that include science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

To come up with its ranking, Glassdoor analyzed nearly 500,000 resumes and corresponding salary reports.

The findings are not all bad for those of us who already went with a non-STEM major and have yet to find time to learn the high-paying skill of computer coding, however.

After all, even the oft-maligned English major made the top 25.

Allison Berry, Glassdoor community expert, explains in a CBS MoneyWatch report:

“Secure jobs in today’s economy require creativity and a sharp sense of judgment, which do not necessarily require a STEM background. Having a successful career can have more to do with your commitment to building and developing your skill set over time, rather than relying just on what you learned in college.”

The top 25 majors in Glassdoor’s ranking are:

  • Computer science — $70,000 median base salary
  • Electrical engineering — $68,438
  • Mechanical engineering — $68,000
  • Chemical engineering — $65,000
  • Industrial engineering — $64,381
  • Information technology — $64,008
  • Civil engineering — $61,500
  • Statistics — $60,000
  • Nursing — $58,928
  • Management information systems — $58,000
  • Finance — $54,900
  • Mathematics — $54,018
  • Biomedical engineering — $52,814
  • Accounting — $52,000
  • Economics — $52,000
  • Physics — $50,000
  • Biotechnology — $50,000
  • Architecture — $50,000
  • Fashion design — $50,000
  • Business — $47,850
  • International relations — $45,880
  • Graphic design — $45,846
  • Marketing — $45,475
  • English — $45,000
  • Political science — $45,000

Were you surprised by any of the majors that made or didn’t make this list? Share your thoughts below or over on our Facebook page.

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