How much money do Northwestern University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $70,400 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $89,800 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 Northwestern graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Computer Science with a median starting salary of $88,500 followed by Computer Engineering paying $80,600 and Industrial Engineering graduates who have a median starting income of $76,400 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $181,600 followed by Law (First Professional Degree) at $171,900 and Business/Commerce (Master's Degree) who earn $155,400 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Northwestern University 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 |
|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $181,600 |
| Law (First Professional Degree) | $171,900 |
| Business/Commerce (Master's Degree) | $155,400 |
| Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degree) | $149,000 |
| Engineering, Other (Master's Degree) | $131,900 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degree) | $107,700 |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degree) | $105,500 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degree) | $102,400 |
| Information Science/Studies (Master's Degree) | $98,400 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (First Professional Degree) | $96,400 |
| Chemistry (Doctoral Degree) | $89,400 |
| Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $88,500 |
| Science Technologies/Technicians, Other (Master's Degree) | $86,400 |
| Computer Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $80,600 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other (Master's Degree) | $80,000 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Master's Degree) | $79,900 |
| Industrial Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $76,400 |
| Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $75,700 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degree) | $74,300 |
| Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $71,000 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) | $69,800 |
| Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $69,200 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $66,100 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $64,200 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Post-baccalaureate Certificate) | $63,700 |
| Public Administration (Master's Degree) | $63,200 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (Doctoral Degree) | $59,600 |
| Public Health (Master's Degree) | $59,600 |
| Community Organization and Advocacy (Bachelor’s Degree) | $58,000 |
| Medicine (First Professional Degree) | $57,700 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) | $55,300 |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education (Master's Degree) | $53,700 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) | $53,400 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) | $48,700 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $47,000 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $46,000 |
| Music (Doctoral Degree) | $43,700 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,600 |
| Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,000 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degree) | $40,800 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degree) | $39,800 |
| Journalism (Master's Degree) | $39,200 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,100 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degree) | $37,000 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,000 |
| Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,100 |
| Psychology, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,300 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,700 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,500 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,100 |
| Music (Bachelor’s Degree) | $22,400 |
| Music (Master's Degree) | $21,900 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,600 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=147767 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Northwestern University.