How much money do University of Colorado Boulder graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $39,800 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $56,900 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for CU Boulder graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Computer Science with a median starting salary of $70,100 followed by Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering paying $67,400 and Computer Engineering graduates who have a median starting income of $67,200 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Engineering (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $107,000 followed by Computer Science (Master's Degree) at $91,100 and Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Doctoral Degree) who earn $88,200 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for University of Colorado Boulder graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Engineering (Master's Degree) | $107,000 |
| Computer Science (Master's Degree) | $91,100 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Doctoral Degree) | $88,200 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degree) | $86,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $72,400 |
| Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $70,100 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degree) | $69,200 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $67,400 |
| Computer Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $67,200 |
| Civil Engineering (Master's Degree) | $66,200 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $63,800 |
| Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $62,100 |
| Architectural Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $61,400 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $59,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $59,100 |
| Biochemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $56,800 |
| Law (First Professional Degree) | $56,600 |
| Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $55,600 |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education (Master's Degree) | $52,700 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $49,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $48,200 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) | $47,300 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $46,400 |
| Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degree) | $44,300 |
| Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,700 |
| Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,500 |
| Music (Doctoral Degree) | $37,600 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,100 |
| Environmental Design (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,300 |
| Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,200 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,900 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,300 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $35,000 |
| Political Science and Government (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $34,900 |
| Sociology (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $34,700 |
| Geography and Cartography (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,500 |
| International/Global Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,200 |
| Psychology (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $33,000 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,000 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,300 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $32,300 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degree) | $30,900 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $30,700 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,200 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,800 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,700 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,800 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,500 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,300 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,200 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,800 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,700 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $26,600 |
| Music (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,500 |
| Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,800 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,400 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,000 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,700 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $22,700 |
| Philosophy (Bachelor’s Degree) | $22,000 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Master's Degree) | $21,800 |
| Music (Master's Degree) | $21,800 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $18,600 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=126614 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for University of Colorado Boulder.