For most, the goal of going to college and getting a degree is to improve job prospects. Students hope that the knowledge and skills they gain in school, coupled with the credential they receive upon graduation, will help them on the path to a meaningful and well-paying career. But when it actually comes time to find employment, graduates may be surprised to see all degrees are not equal.
Four years of residency is still the choice for most high school graduates. But given the rising costs of degree programs, combined with the fact that jobs which might have once gone to high school grads now require a B.A., many families are thinking about college through the lens of cost-benefit, trying to figure out which degree from which institution is likely to give them the biggest "bang for their buck.”
If you are one of the people approaching your degree choice through such a cost-benefit framework, the following study produced by OnlineDegrees.com is designed to provide a ranking of which programs are likely to give you the best return on your educational investment.
Methodology
This study started by looking at employment opportunities related to different degree fields. Factors taken into consideration included:
• Expected number of job openings in that field
• Number of related professions
• Average salary of all related professions
This information was based primarily on Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Statistics and Outlook reports (their most recent data was published in 2013).
That material was then cross-referenced with details regarding currently available degree programs, specifically:
• Number of schools offering programs in a specific degree category
• Average cost-per-year at those schools
• Length of time required to obtain the degree
Some of this data also came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as from the Institute for Educational Sciences' National Center for Educational Statistics.
The goal of an analysis synthesizing employment opportunities with the availability and cost/time commitment required to earn a degree was to rank majors based on their likelihood to lead to a high-paying/fast-growth career in as little time (and with as little cost) as possible.
While this review will close with some recommendations as to how to best approach such a ranking, some immediate caveats as you look over the following high-ranking job categories include:
• Even recently published data is based on historic information, so keep in mind that rankings are influenced by statistics from the early 2010s or before.
• It can sometimes be difficult to understand how specific degree fields (which were used as the basis for analysis in this study) relate to real-world jobs. To minimize this confusion, the following analysis focuses on categories of degrees and talks about specific majors within each category. But keep in mind that the specific degree titles listed below might not correspond to how degrees will be listed by schools. The O*NET Online database is your best source for detailed descriptions of each of these fields, providing listings which include descriptions of the knowledge, skills, and work activities associated with related careers.
With that said, here are the 50 majors that offer the best potential return on your educational investment:
1. COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS
This major prepares people for jobs that combine general computer-programming knowledge with the ability to plan, develop, and maintain end-user software, products that need to take into account the requirements of both individuals and organizations.
• Position in Ranking: 1
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $90,070
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 17.17%
2. ENTREPRENEURSHIP/ENTREPRENEURIAL STUDIES
Preparing to be an entrepreneur involves studying foundational business practices (such as accounting, marketing, and management) as well as some of the unique financial and business aspects of modern entrepreneurship.
• Position in Ranking: 2
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $111,672
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 9.57%
3. NETWORK AND SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION
The multiple computer networks we log into each day are all designed, built, and administered by people trained in network administration, one of the most vital (and in-demand) jobs in a world of continually expanding interlinked systems.
• Position in Ranking: 3
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $88,420
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 17
4. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
This is one of those wide-spanning majors that provides access to a number of computer-related job categories. The figures below pertain to general employment opportunities in information technology, a field that includes working with computer hardware, software, and data.
• Position in Ranking: 4
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $98,496
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 21.34%
5. COMPUTER SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY
This major prepares people for programming positions, which focus on the engineering and design work needed to develop, implement, and evaluate computer software, including system software and applications.
• Position in Ranking: 5
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $90,070
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 17.16%
6. OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE/OSTEOPATHY
A major in osteopathy will introduce you to an alternative medical technique that uses tissue and bone manipulation as a form of treatment and disease prevention. (Note: The high average salary in this field may reflect the fact that some practitioners also have advanced degrees -- including MDs -- in traditional medicine.)
• Position in Ranking: 6
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $176,530
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 16.65%
7. BUSINESS/COMMERCE, GENERAL
This field feeds a broad category of job classifications covering multiple sub-disciplines related to business and commerce.
• Position in Ranking: 7
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $91,427
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 11.92%
8. COMPUTER SYSTEMS NETWORKING AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS
As with a number of majors in this study, this one overlaps others that involve learning about how to manage computer networks. This field also including management and support of telecommunication networks such as telephonic switching systems.
• Position in Ranking: 8
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $81,335
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 20.62%
9. BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT, GENERAL
Currently the most popular major in the U.S., business administration encompasses the many principles and techniques used to manage and grow organizations of all sizes.
• Position in Ranking: 9
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $91,427
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 11.92%
10. COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS SECURITY/INFORMATION ASSURANCE
As more and more of our information (including details about our personal and financial lives) are being stored on computer networks, the role of the trained information security specialist is more in demand than ever.
• Position in Ranking: 10
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $86,770
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 16.68%
11. INFORMATION SCIENCE/STUDIES
Majoring in information science will help you push forward our understanding of how computers and information work and interact, as well as give you the opportunity to develop theories and practical applications that advance the technology and processes that underlie our information age.
• Position in Ranking: 11
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $97,418
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 13.5%
12. COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, GENERAL
This major will allow you to participate in software development projects requiring input from "code cutters," programming generalists able to write the code that will become part of a product or system used by individuals, companies, government agencies, or other organizations.
• Position in Ranking: 12
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $77,775
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 15.2%
13. MARKETING/MARKETING MANAGEMENT, GENERAL
This major will prepare you to oversee modern marketing programs that might include customer development, research, analysis, and the creation, implementation, and management of marketing/advertising campaigns.
• Position in Ranking: 13
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $92,312
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 14.84%
14. COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES, GENERAL
Another major that feeds a broad range of job categories encompassing many jobs having to do with both computer science and information management.
• Position in Ranking: 14
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $89,346
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 14.12%
15. DENTAL HYGIENE
Dental hygienist is the highest-ranking medical support position in this study, a major/job that involves performing dental hygiene procedures, identifying patients' dental-health issues, and educating patients on appropriate oral-maintenance procedures.
• Position in Ranking: 15
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $78,070
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 34.70%
16. MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS, GENERAL
This major prepares you for jobs involving the creation and management of technology-based data systems that store, manage, process, and deliver information to decision-makers and other data users.
• Position in Ranking: 16
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $100,045
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 11.80%
17. DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHY
Studying ultrasound/sonography technology will allow you to operate and maintain the vital diagnostic tools used in obstetrics and other medical fields needing non-invasive investigation of tissues and organs.
• Position in Ranking: 17
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $75,720
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 41.04%
18. ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE
Majoring in accounting and finance can help prepare you for jobs that involve "keeping the books" and supporting the financial management of businesses or other operations.
• Position in Ranking: 18
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $81,567
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 10.9%
19. ACCOUNTING AND BUSINESS/MANAGEMENT
This major combines accounting and financial management with core operational business skills such as planning and human resources.
• Position in Ranking: 19
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $85,387
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 12.5%
20. COMPUTER SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
In today's world of commercial applications and open-source software, many technology projects require people trained in systems analysis who can help determine the right combination of new and existing technology needed to solve specific individual and organizational challenges.
• Position in Ranking: 20
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $77,462
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 14.67%
21. RETAIL MANAGEMENT
Employers who might have once hired people with only a high school diploma for jobs in retail management are increasingly asking for a certificate, associate degree, or even a B.A. as part of the application process.
• Position in Ranking: 21
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $69,583
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 10.5%
22. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST ASSISTANT
While training to become an occupational therapist (OT) may still require an advanced degree, occupational therapy assistants, who frequently implement the physical therapy plans developed by OTs, are well paid and in demand, with a far lower cost of entry into the field.
• Position in Ranking: 22
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $70,150
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 39.35%
23. MEDICAL RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY
Majoring in radiation therapy will teach you how to implement the radiation treatments prescribed by oncologists, preparing you to manage therapies, patient relations, record keeping, and data collection associated with radiation-based treatment programs.
• Position in Ranking: 23
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $73,123
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 26.80%
24. SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY
Before the surgeon enters the operating room, those trained as surgical technologists have set the stage, ensuring all tools and equipment are in place and ready to be used, and supporting doctors throughout a surgical procedure.
• Position in Ranking: 24
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $63,875
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 32.95%
25. OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION
Modern manufacturing requires people trained in project management, line technology, production procedures, and personnel management -- all skills required of an operations manager or supervisor.
• Position in Ranking: 25
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $80,511
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 10.23%
26. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS/TRADE/COMMERCE
While earning a degree in international commerce is expensive, it will prepare you for well-paying positions that require an understanding of both business issues and cross-cultural communications.
• Position in Ranking: 26
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $114,387
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 10.8%
27. MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
Choosing a management science major will give you the opportunity to learn how to apply statistical and mathematical models to economic and business challenges, allowing you to use science-based analysis tools to understand and solve organizational problems.
• Position in Ranking: 27
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $104,447
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 14.77%
28. HEALTH INFORMATION/MEDICAL RECORDS ADMINISTRATION
Studying healthcare records administration will allow you to create and maintain the record-keeping systems that ensure health care providers are informed and in compliance with complex medical privacy laws and internal/external regulations.
• Position in Ranking: 28
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $90,940
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 23.2%
29. AEROSPACE PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
If you're looking for the most specialized degree/profession in this study, working on physiology and medicine applied to those who spend large amounts of time in the sky or outer space is for you! (In case you're wondering, that one school offering this degree is run by the U.S. Air Force.)
• Position in Ranking: 29
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $90,807
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 12.83%
30. EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
While the number of places to study emergency medicine is large, the need for people in this life-saving profession -- which increasingly involves understanding and using complex, front-line medical technology -- is even larger.
• Position in Ranking: 30
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $58,150
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 29.6%
31. CLINICAL/MEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
So who processes all those samples our doctors (and occasionally employers) send off to "the lab?" Those trained as medical lab technicians, a rapidly growing (and reasonably well-paid) behind-the-scenes medical-support profession.
• Position in Ranking: 31
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $61,500
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 32.9%
32. HEALTH/HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION/MANAGEMENT
Medicine is both a life-saving field and a big business which intersects with other businesses (notably insurance) and various parts of government. Those trained as healthcare administrators or managers are the ones who keep this complex business running efficiently and successfully.
• Position in Ranking: 32
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $90,940
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 23.2
33. RESPIRATORY CARE THERAPY
If you suffer from respiratory disorders such as asthma or pneumonia, or require breathing support in the emergency room, that care will be provided by people trained as respiratory care therapists who understand techniques and technology for helping those with cardiopulmonary issues.
• Position in Ranking: 33
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $62,787
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 24.03%
34. HEALTH/MEDICAL PHYSICS
For those working in close proximity to ionizing radiation (which can include medical professionals who make frequent use of x-rays and other diagnostic tools, as well as those working in nuclear power plants and defense installations), the medical physicist is the expert who ensures worker safety in such dangerous environments.
• Position in Ranking: 34
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $97,570
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 23.25%
35. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Information technology (IT) projects can involve dozens, even hundreds of specialists all contributing to a project from different locations (and time zones). Majoring in information project management will train you to coordinate such efforts and help ensure technology programs are completed on time and on budget.
• Position in Ranking: 35
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $99,602
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 15.37%
36. MEDICINE
So you want to be a doctor? Despite the high cost (and long years) needed to obtain a medical degree, the medical profession still offers serious bang-for-the-buck return on your educational investment.
• Position in Ranking: 36
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $176,530
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 16.65%
37. COMPUTER SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
Yet another major that prepares you for a range of software design and development jobs focused on designing, building, updating, and maintaining large and complex computer/data systems.
• Position in Ranking: 37
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $104,175
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 15.42%
38. PHARMACY
With drug stores in every town center and mall, and pharmacies imbedded in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, the demand for trained pharmacists should stay high for years to come.
• Position in Ranking: 38
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $102,155
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 25.3%
39. CHIROPRACTIC
Chiropractic medicine, which treats disorders of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems, has become one of the most mainstream alternative healthcare disciplines not requiring an MD to practice.
• Position in Ranking: 39
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $75,165
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 25.35%
40. DENTAL ASSISTING
Majoring in dental assisting will allow you to support dentists and dental hygienists by setting up facilities for dental surgery and other procedures, working with patients, taking x-rays, and overseeing various office-management functions.
• Position in Ranking: 39
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $59,965
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 30.3%
41. DENTISTRY
While preparation for dentistry is more costly and time consuming that most of the fields in this list of bang-for-the-buck degrees, the investment in preparing for this profession is still well worth it in terms of salary and job demand.
• Position in Ranking: 41
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $115,685
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 26.2%
42. TERRORISM AND COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATIONS
Now here's a major they didn't offer in your parents' day. The field is narrow, but incorporates a wide range of subjects, from psychology, area studies, and history, to threat assessment, surveillance techniques, and financial tracking.
• Position in Ranking: 41
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $72,630
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 9.04%
43. COMPUTER ENGINEERING, GENERAL
Another major related to computer technology, this one preparing students to support the design, development, and implementation of computer hardware and software.
• Position in Ranking: 43
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $102,722
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 13.95%
44. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Given the growth of the public sector over the last several decades, the number of public agencies (federal, state and local) requiring administration and management skills continues to grow, albeit in a slow, unstable (and regionally specific) pattern.
• Position in Ranking: 43
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $86,056
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 4.5%
45. HEALTH UNIT MANAGER
The aging U.S. population means that the number of people needed to staff non-medical positions in hospitals and other care facilities continues to grow, increasing the need for people trained to manage hospital wards and other administrative healthcare units.
• Position in Ranking: 45
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $90,940
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 23.2
46. HOSPITAL AND HEALTH CARE FACILITIES ADMINISTRATION/MANAGEMENT
Hospitals and healthcare facilities face unique operational and business challenges, requiring the leadership of administrators trained in the specifics of a demanding (but growing) industry.
• Position in Ranking: 46
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $90,940
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 23.2%
47. INTERNATIONAL MARKETING
Global markets present unique communications and sales challenges, and majoring in international marketing will give you the tools to craft messages, develop campaigns, and track progress in multi-lingual and cross-cultural environments.
• Position in Ranking: 47
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $86,380
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 19.67%
48. CREDIT MANAGEMENT
Like other fields with fewer than ten institutions offering degrees, credit management is an area that still employs high school graduates, but where post-secondary training in the discipline might give you an edge with hiring managers.
• Position in Ranking: 47
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $69,607
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 11.92%
49. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
Majoring as a physician assistant can give you the skills to support doctors and surgeons, help prepare patients for examinations or procedures, diagnose injuries and illnesses, and navigate the complex bureaucracy of healthcare management.
• Position in Ranking: 49
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $89,000
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 37.25%
50. GEOGRAPHY, OTHER
There are actually several majors related to geography and cartography (the creation and reading of maps). Growth in this field is likely the result of the mainstreaming of new technologies (notably GPS) as well as the integration of mapping/location systems into web site and mobile app development.
• Position in Ranking: 50
• Average Salary of Related Professions: $82,927
• Projected Job Growth (2012-2022): 15.17%
CULLED FROM MSN
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