How much money do Western Michigan University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $33,000 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $48,900 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 WMU graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering with a median starting salary of $68,800 followed by Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians paying $67,300 and Mechanical Engineering graduates who have a median starting income of $66,400 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $102,300 followed by Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degree) at $80,000 and Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) who earn $71,500 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Western Michigan 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 |
|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degree) | $102,300 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degree) | $80,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $71,500 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $68,800 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) | $67,300 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $66,400 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degree) | $65,200 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $62,000 |
| Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor’s Degree) | $61,200 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $61,200 |
| Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $60,900 |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) | $59,100 |
| Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $57,300 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degree) | $56,400 |
| Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $55,300 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $54,900 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $52,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $51,700 |
| Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) | $49,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $49,000 |
| Public Administration (Master's Degree) | $48,400 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) | $48,200 |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $47,900 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) | $47,800 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degree) | $45,500 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degree) | $44,000 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $43,200 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $43,200 |
| Social Work (Master's Degree) | $42,600 |
| Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,300 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,900 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Graduate/Professional Certificate) | $41,700 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degree) | $41,600 |
| Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,900 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) | $39,500 |
| Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,800 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) | $37,400 |
| Air Transportation (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,200 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,800 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,100 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,000 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,900 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,600 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,400 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,200 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,100 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,800 |
| Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,800 |
| Apparel and Textiles (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,300 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,900 |
| Geography and Cartography (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,700 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,700 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,600 |
| International/Global Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,500 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,300 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,100 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,500 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,100 |
| Music (Master's Degree) | $24,800 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $21,800 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,500 |
| Dance (Bachelor’s Degree) | $19,400 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) | $17,200 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=172699 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Western Michigan University.