The Atlantic

Which College—and Which Major—Will Make You Richest?

A new study finds that nine of the 10 most lucrative degrees in America are in computer science programs at elite colleges—and Harvey Mudd runs away with the lead

A Bachelor of Science from Harvey Mudd College, the small California science and engineering school, is the most valuable college degree in America.

Stanford's computer science program pays off more than any single major in the country.

For the best dollar-for-dollar investment, nothing beats the University of Virginia.

As those three (all true) facts illustrate, there are many ways to answer the question Every year , the largest private tracker of U.S. salaries, tries to answer the question. This year they released. They also shared their hard data with , which we used to do some further calculations.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from The Atlantic

The Atlantic4 min read
Hayao Miyazaki’s Anti-war Fantasia
Once, in a windowless conference room, I got into an argument with a minor Japanese-government official about Hayao Miyazaki. This was in 2017, three years after the director had announced his latest retirement from filmmaking. His final project was
The Atlantic5 min read
The Strangest Job in the World
This is an edition of the Books Briefing, our editors’ weekly guide to the best in books. Sign up for it here. The role of first lady couldn’t be stranger. You attain the position almost by accident, simply by virtue of being married to the president
The Atlantic2 min read
Preface
Illustrations by Miki Lowe For much of his career, the poet W. H. Auden was known for writing fiercely political work. He critiqued capitalism, warned of fascism, and documented hunger, protest, war. He was deeply influenced by Marxism. And he was hu

Related Books & Audiobooks