How much money do Columbia College graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $35,400 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $41,800 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 Columbia College graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Computer and Information Sciences with a median starting salary of $51,600 followed by Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing paying $50,700 and Management Information Systems and Services graduates who have a median starting income of $49,400 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Business/Commerce (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $65,200 followed by Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degree) at $44,400 and Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degree) who earn $33,600 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Columbia College 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/Commerce (Master's Degree) | $65,200 |
| Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $51,600 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degree) | $50,700 |
| Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $49,400 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $45,600 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degree) | $44,400 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $43,700 |
| Business/Commerce (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,300 |
| Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $40,500 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,200 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degree) | $37,100 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,800 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,400 |
| Business/Commerce (Associate's Degree) | $36,300 |
| Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degree) | $33,600 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,200 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degree) | $31,000 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,900 |
| Human Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,700 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,400 |
| Human Services (Associate's Degree) | $27,600 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=177065 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Columbia College.