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Which degrees will get you the most money at the University of Arizona?
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Which degrees will get you the most money at the University of Arizona?

  • Jun 19, 2018
  • Jun 19, 2018 Updated Jun 29, 2018
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Which degree should you seek at Arizona's public universities to get the best starting pay?

Preparing for the future

Arizona Board of Regents

Students stroll across the mall with Old Main in the background at the University of Arizona, Thursday, April 6, 2017, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

It's no surprise an engineer makes more than a librarian, but there's a little more to choosing a career than that. Many would say it's worth the lower pay to love what you do.

However, just as mothers once said, "It's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor man," even if you're a librarian at heart, maybe you can learn to love engineering. Loving computer sciences, mathematics and statistics or business also would serve you well in Arizona.

Then, of course, you must decide which of Arizona's public universities would serve you the best in your career choice. An engineering degree at the University of Arizona will probably net you a higher starting salary than one at Northern Arizona University.

This information comes from the Arizona Board of Regents, who studied student debt at the time of graduation in comparison to the courses of study that garnered the best starting pay.

Read the study.

See how the careers and Arizona's public universities stack up.

University of Arizona

University of Arizona campus

Old Main on the University of Arizona campus.

Ron Medvescek / Arizona Daily Star

At the University of Arizona, the major with the best payout in 2017 was Computer and Information Sciences and Support, with median earnings in Arizona of $77,049 annually for recent graduates. These graduates also had the highest median debt for UA at $27,730 at the time of graduation.

Engineering majors earned the second best median pay at $76,576, and had less median debt at $18,583.

Median earnings and student loan debt by major at University of Arizona

Not every field of study is represented.

Source: Arizona Board of Regents

Undergraduate major No. of graduates with earnings in all 4 quarters in Arizona for 2017 Median earnings in Arizona for 2017 No. of graduates with student loan debt at time of graduation Median debt Estimated annual loan payment (subsidized) Estimated annual loan payment (unsubsidized)
Computer and Information Sciences and Support 37 $77,049 24 $27,730 $2,847 $2,932
Engineering 141 $76,576 79 $18,583 $1,926 $1,965
Engineering Technologies/Technicians 17 $70,610 9 $21,396 $2,217 $2,262
Mathematics and Statistics 28 $66,868 19 $12,899 $1,337 $1,364
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services 351 $63,925 176 $19,745 $1,982 $2,022
Physical Sciences 33 $63,636 19 $17,414 $1,805 $1,841
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences 158 $59,667 95 $19,405 $2,011 $2,052
Public Administration and Social Service Professions 36 $51,709 22 $21,059 $2,182 $2,227
Biological and Biomedical Sciences 156 $51,622 73 $17,714 $1,836 $1,873
Natural Resources and Conservation 17 $49,738 10 $16,883 $1,750 $1,785
Architecture and Related Services 38 $49,626 20 $13,202 $1,368 $1,396
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 106 $48,774 52 $16,382 $1,698 $1,732
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs 63 $48,176 31 $18,411 $1,908 $1,947
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies 25 $46,624 17 $26,507 $2,747 $2,803
History 62 $45,004 34 $19,127 $1,982 $2,022
Social Sciences 197 $44,656 114 $17,268 $1,790 $1,826
Philosophy and Religious Studies 25 $44,088 16 $17,509 $1,815 $1,851
Education 144 $44,035 95 $20,371 $2,111 $2,154
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 75 $43,368 46 $19,349 $2,005 $2,046
Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences 33 $42,600 18 $23,393 $2,424 $2,473
Psychology 192 $41,470 103 $20,373 $2,111 $2,154
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences 60 $40,553 37 $19,409 $2,011 $2,052
Science Technologies/Technicians 3 $39,708 2 $20,302 $2,104 $2,147
English Language and Liturature/Letters 75 $39,138 31 $17,566 $1,820 $1,857
Visual and Performing Arts 83 $35,156 46 $13,911 $1,442 $1,471
Total 2060 $49,879 1139 $18,995 $1,968 $2,008

Arizona State University

Arizona State University
Courtesy Arizona Department of Transportation, 2014

At Arizona State University, the field of study that will earn graduates the most in Arizona is Engineering with a median pay at the time of graduation in 2017 of $79,080, a bit better than University of Arizona.

Engineering graduates' indebtedness is a bit higher at $19,835, but at that pay, it is less of an issue.

Computer sciences was the major with the next highest median salary at $75,609.

Median earnings and student loan debt by major at Arizona State University

Only majors with median earnings of $60,000 or more are listed.

Source: Arizona Board of Regents

Undergraduate major No. of graduates with earnings in all 4 quarters in Arizona for 2017 Median earnings in Arizona for 2017 No. of graduates with student loan debt at time of graduation Median debt Estimated annual loan payment (subsidized) Estimated annual loan payment (unsubsidized)
Engineering 291 $79,080 162 $19,835 $2,056 $2,097
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services 143 $75,609 79 $19,074 $1,977 $2,017
Engineering Technologies/Technicians 39 $72,736 27 $26,166 $2,712 $2,767
Science Technologies/Technicians 54 $71,490 35 $23,375 $2,422 $2,471
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences 224 $64,071 148 $18,375 $1,904 $1,943
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services 887 $63,340 465 $17,751 $1,840 $1,877
Total 5540 $50,475 3452 $18,763 $1,944 $1,984

Northern Arizona University

Northern Arizona University

James Curtis shoveled out his snow-covered car Thursday on the campus of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Heavy storms continue to blanket the area and caused the closure of all of the schools in the Flagstaff area through the end of the week.

JOSH BIGGS / ARIZONA DAILY SUN

If you want the best median starting pay for engineering and Computer sciences, Northern Arizona University falls a bit short of the other two public universities in the state.

One should not turn the nose up at a median starting salary of $69,892 for Computer sciences, however.

Median earnings and student loan debt by major at Northern Arizona University

Only majors with median earnings of $60,000 or more are listed.

Source: Arizona Board of Regents

Undergraduate major No. of graduates with earnings in all 4 quarters in Arizona for 2017 Median earnings in Arizona for 2017 No. of graduates with student loan debt at time of graduation Median debt Estimated annual loan payment (subsidized) Estimated annual loan payment (unsubsidized)
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services 11 $69,892 6 $27,866 $2,888 $2,946
Engineering 37 $67,845 24 $24,848 $2,575 $2,627
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences 154 $61,192 94 $23,512 $2,437 $2,486
Total 1806 $47,034 1221 $21,892 $2,269 $2,315

Arizona's university system

The combined university system for Arizona has engineering coming out on top; however, computer science majors had more debt upon graduation.

Median earnings and student loan debt by major at all Arizona public universities

Only majors with median earnings of $60,000 or more are listed.

Source: Arizona Board of Regents

Undergraduate major No. of graduates with earnings in all 4 quarters in Arizona for 2017 Median earnings in Arizona for 2017 No. of graduates with student loan debt at time of graduation Median debt Estimated annual loan payment (subsidized) Estimated annual loan payment (unsubsidized)
Engineering 169 $74,500 265 $21,089 $2,185 $2,230
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services 191 $74,183 109 $24,890 $2,579 $2,632
Engineering Technologies/Technicians 56 $71,673 36 $23,781 $2,464 $2,514
Science Technologies/Technicians 159 $61,753 109 $21,358 $2,213 $2,258
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences 536 $61,643 337 $20,430 $2,117 $2,160
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services 1582 $61,045 862 $18,962 $1,965 $2,005
Total 9406 $49,130 5812 $19,883 $2,061 $2,102

Related to this collection

USA Today financial report: Here's where Arizona, ASU, Pac-12 rank among NCAA programs

USA Today financial report: Here's where Arizona, ASU, Pac-12 rank among NCAA programs

USA Today released the 2016-17 financial report for NCAA Division I athletic programs.

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