Most Lucrative College Majors

Picking out a lucrative major is important to many students when applying to college. If you’re on the fence about what you want to study but are sure that you want a major that will lead to financial stability, there are certain departments to consider becoming a student of that almost always guarantee a great starting salary.

Unfortunately, those of us who have decided on the arts have a tougher time making the big bucks. When it comes to a major that not only has plenty of jobs but also is lucrative, engineering reigns king.

Below is a list sourced from Yahoo Finance of the Most Lucrative College Majors and their starting salaries:

1) Petroleum Engineering -- $83,121

2) Chemical Engineering – $64,902

3) Mining Engineering- $64,404

4) Computer Engineering – $61,738

5) Computer Science – $61,407

Math seems to be a crucial skill when it comes to a lucrative major. It makes sense though. So does the fact that petroleum was part of the top paying major seeing as energy is the future. It’s important for anyone looking for a lucrative career who is interested in science and math to consider a career in engineering or computer science. Technology and energy are the future and it’s likely those fields will continue provide plenty of jobs.

As someone who never was that interested in science and math, I’m alright with my decision to major in the soft sciences of English and Political Science. Originally I planned on going to law school but decided in the end to wait to see if it was a good idea. I have friends who have law degrees and are having trouble finding work, and that makes me worried. I think that there are of course jobs that will always be plenty of including teachers, doctors and nurses. Although these careers can take more years of higher education (especially becoming an MD of course).