The 5 highest – and lowest – paying college degrees in the US

The Hill

Addy Bink

October 20, 2023

(NEXSTAR) — Student loan payments are due once again, marking the first time in over three years many have had to pay up for their college education. If you’re among those, you may be even more aware of the payoff — large or small — of attending college and getting your degree.

Overall, the U.S. Census Bureau found Americans with bachelor’s degrees earned, on average, $74,154 in 2022, roughly $600 below the national average of all earners, regardless of their education.

There are, however, degree-holders earning much more — and much less — than that.

According to data released by the Census Bureau this week, roughly 37% of Americans between the ages of 25 and 64 have a bachelor’s degree.

While many degrees were categorized individually by the Census Bureau, there are catch-all “other” categories for science and engineering, business, education, and simply, “other.” Those were, in many cases, considered the most popular field of degrees across the metro areas.

Outside of those expansive categories, the most common bachelor’s degree in the U.S., held by 6% of the population, is in business management and administration. That was followed by psychology (4.8%), nursing (4.4%), and general business (4.4%).

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