Most Lucrative College Degrees

Here's an article from Money that details the most lucrative college degrees. Their findings:

Topping the list of highest-paid majors were chemical engineers who fetched $55,900 on average, followed by electrical engineering degrees at $52,899. Despite taking a 0.3 percent dip compared to the 2004-2005 academic year, mechanical engineers took third place with an average salary of $50,672.

Accounting and economics or finance experienced the biggest growth, claiming the fifth and sixth spots, and rounding out the list, in order, were civil engineering, management and marketing.

Liberal arts majors, which included both natural and social science majors such as history and English, finished last with a starting salary of $30,828, but experienced an increase of 6.1 percent compared to last year.

As I've said before, a college education is one of the best investments you can make toward growing your net worth (even if it's "only" a liberal arts degree). :-)  Here are some of my posts on the economic advantages of getting a college diploma:

• How Much College Debt is too Much?
• A Great College Money Saving Tip
• 4 Ways to Save Big on College Costs
• College Financial Aid Can Save You Lots
• Tax Savvy Ways to Save for an Education
• The Value of an MBA
• College Majors that Boost Your Paycheck
• The Value of an Education
• Facts on Education (and the Value of It)
• The Value of Education
• Almost Infinite Investment Return
• Comments: Almost Infinite Investment Return; Life-Long Learning

Comments

[jayfer]

Yes, you're talking starting salaries. How about lifetime career potential? A liberal arts degree can be a good spring board or foundation for other advanced degrees. As an undergrad, I decided to switch out of a top ranked accounting program into English. And then I went onto law school. I don't think an accounting degree would have prepared me as well for the rigors of law school (reading, writing and speaking). Likewise, my best friend was a French Lit major in college. She spent her junior year in France and then went on to medical school. Her 'well rounded' education gave her a leg up on the typical pre-med/biology majors. Most of my engineering friends have had to go on to obtain advanced degrees as well.