How much money do American Public University System graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $51,300 per year.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for American Public University System graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Fire Protection with a median starting salary of $74,300 followed by Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management paying $56,500 and Homeland Security graduates who have a median starting income of $53,400 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $81,400 followed by Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degree) at $77,100 and International/Global Studies (Master's Degree) who earn $70,300 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for American Public University System 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 |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Master's Degree) | $81,400 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degree) | $77,100 |
| Fire Protection (Bachelor’s Degree) | $74,300 |
| International/Global Studies (Master's Degree) | $70,300 |
| Homeland Security (Master's Degree) | $66,700 |
| Political Science and Government (Master's Degree) | $66,300 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degree) | $65,400 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies (Master's Degree) | $64,600 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $64,600 |
| Public Administration (Master's Degree) | $60,200 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $56,500 |
| Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) (Master's Degree) | $55,400 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $55,000 |
| Public Health (Master's Degree) | $54,500 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degree) | $53,900 |
| Homeland Security (Bachelor’s Degree) | $53,400 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $52,400 |
| International/Global Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $52,000 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) | $52,000 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) | $51,800 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $50,300 |
| History (Master's Degree) | $49,700 |
| Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $48,900 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Graduate/Professional Certificate) | $48,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) | $47,800 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degree) | $45,400 |
| Education (Master's Degree) | $44,400 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $44,300 |
| Psychology (Master's Degree) | $43,800 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) | $43,700 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,600 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,500 |
| Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,200 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $41,900 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,100 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degree) | $40,000 |
| Public Health (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,400 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,200 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,100 |
| Business/Commerce (Associate's Degree) | $38,100 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Associate's Degree) | $37,600 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,000 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,900 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Associate's Degree) | $36,400 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degree) | $36,300 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,100 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,800 |
| Legal Support Services (Associate's Degree) | $30,900 |
| Legal Support Services (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $27,800 |
| Public Health (Associate's Degree) | $27,000 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,600 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,500 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Associate's Degree) | $15,100 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=449339 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for American Public University System.