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UMass Amherst majors and salaries
University of Massachusetts Amherst · Amherst, Massachusetts · Public · 23,671 undergraduates
Anthropology graduates earned the least four years out, a median of $31,186; the top program pays four times as much. Computer Science ($123,519) and Computer Engineering ($113,083) are the best-paid programs four years after graduation. South Carolina, Pitt and The University of Texas at Dallas trail UMass Amherst on median earnings ten years after enrollment, while Rutgers, University of Connecticut and Virginia Tech are ahead.
Highest-paying bachelor's programs
Every program with earnings data
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Median debt | Pay after 1 yr | Pay after 4 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 960 | $20,500 | $96,878 | $123,519 |
| Computer Engineering | 151 | $26,413 | $94,252 | $113,083 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 98 | $24,741 | $85,737 | $101,091 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 268 | $21,500 | $66,052 | $100,516 |
| Chemical Engineering | 99 | $23,391 | $81,017 | $97,990 |
| Industrial Engineering | 47 | $27,000 | $82,123 | $97,791 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 295 | $24,212 | $76,176 | $96,999 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 666 | $20,500 | $71,584 | $96,995 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 213 | $21,500 | $76,611 | $93,156 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 670 | $19,500 | $70,409 | $92,623 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 248 | $23,120 | $85,138 | $90,309 |
| Civil Engineering | 180 | $23,389 | $73,437 | $88,076 |
| Marketing | 433 | $19,500 | $58,927 | $86,299 |
| Mathematics | 510 | $20,651 | $65,340 | $83,338 |
| Economics | 830 | $21,000 | $55,297 | $80,434 |
| Chemistry | 70 | $23,198 | – | $78,373 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 314 | $22,975 | $50,665 | $77,853 |
| Food Science and Technology | 28 | – | – | $77,771 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 346 | $23,500 | $42,550 | $74,422 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 156 | $22,500 | $73,535 | – |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 177 | $21,500 | $41,213 | $73,242 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 297 | $21,146 | $47,830 | $73,238 |
| Biology, General | 692 | $22,500 | $45,212 | $72,726 |
| Physics | 96 | $25,540 | – | $72,596 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 144 | $21,500 | $58,032 | $70,916 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 223 | $21,500 | $32,323 | $69,269 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 117 | $22,390 | $52,200 | $66,642 |
| Landscape Architecture | 34 | $25,500 | – | $64,477 |
| Public Health | 461 | $21,500 | $42,993 | $63,854 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 124 | $23,250 | – | $63,620 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 494 | $20,000 | $50,062 | $63,383 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 108 | $21,500 | $33,895 | $63,019 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 585 | $19,725 | $42,529 | $60,891 |
| Political Science and Government | 357 | $21,693 | $34,855 | $60,726 |
| Animal Sciences | 56 | $21,500 | $37,724 | $59,543 |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | 42 | $22,300 | $45,633 | $59,298 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 78 | $20,500 | $58,347 | – |
| Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs | 152 | $21,500 | $33,653 | $57,461 |
| Sociology | 238 | $21,382 | $37,430 | $56,960 |
| History | 157 | $19,000 | $39,097 | $56,597 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 322 | $21,437 | $34,405 | $54,215 |
| Journalism | 193 | $20,500 | $35,930 | $52,011 |
| Plant Sciences | 60 | $20,500 | – | $51,912 |
| Psychology, General | 1,216 | $21,500 | $39,951 | $51,274 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 252 | $19,500 | $35,265 | $48,475 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 99 | $26,222 | – | $46,027 |
| Agricultural Production Operations | 95 | $22,325 | $32,173 | $42,520 |
| Anthropology | 79 | $23,250 | – | $31,186 |
Programs are grouped by four-digit CIP code, so one row can cover several related majors. "Graduates" counts bachelor's degrees awarded across the two years that make up each earnings cohort.
Outcomes
- Six-year graduation rate
- 81% (four-year colleges: 54% median)
- First-year students who return
- 92%
- Students per faculty member
- 17
- Median earnings 10 years after enrolling
- $80,486 (four-year colleges: $58,912 median)
- Median federal debt at graduation
- $21,500 (four-year colleges: $21,609 median)
Colleges similar to UMass Amherst
The six public four-year colleges closest to UMass Amherst in acceptance rate and undergraduate enrollment.
| College | Acceptance rate | Avg net price | Earnings after 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina Columbia, SC | 60% | $22,197 | $69,024 |
| Pitt Pittsburgh, PA | 58% | $29,362 | $73,113 |
| Rutgers New Brunswick, NJ | 58% | $24,897 | $80,490 |
| University of Connecticut Storrs, CT | 52% | $24,342 | $82,098 |
| Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA | 55% | $25,808 | $88,716 |
| The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX | 65% | $15,271 | $74,762 |
Program earnings and debt come from the College Scorecard field-of-study file: median pay of graduates who were working and not enrolled, one and four years after finishing, for two pooled graduating classes. Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education and do not appear. College Scorecard data updated November 2, 2026. How these figures are built · UMass Amherst on College Scorecard