How much money do Montana State University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $37,300 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $45,800 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 MSU graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Computer Science with a median starting salary of $71,400 followed by Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering paying $62,300 and Construction Engineering Technologies graduates who have a median starting income of $59,100 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $53,400 followed by Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) at $51,500 and Architecture (Master's Degree) who earn $42,700 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Montana State 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 |
|---|---|
| Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $71,400 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $62,300 |
| Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $59,100 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $58,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $57,700 |
| Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $54,500 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $53,400 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) | $51,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) | $50,900 |
| Architecture (Master's Degree) | $42,700 |
| Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $40,000 |
| Education (Master's Degree) | $39,300 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degree) | $38,000 |
| Business/Commerce (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,900 |
| Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,400 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,500 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,200 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,700 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,900 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,200 |
| Agricultural Business and Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,400 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,300 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,100 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,600 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,300 |
| Plant Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,900 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,800 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,400 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,400 |
| Animal Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,400 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,000 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,500 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,400 |
| Music (Bachelor’s Degree) | $22,900 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $21,700 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=180461 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Montana State University.