How much money do Penn State Main Campus graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $41,900 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $55,300 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 Penn State graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Mining and Mineral Engineering with a median starting salary of $84,100 followed by Computer and Information Sciences paying $74,100 and Chemical Engineering graduates who have a median starting income of $70,500 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Information Science/Studies (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $113,000 followed by Computer Engineering (Master's Degree) at $95,900 and Systems Engineering (Master's Degree) who earn $94,700 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Penn State Main Campus 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 |
|---|---|
| Information Science/Studies (Master's Degree) | $113,000 |
| Computer Engineering (Master's Degree) | $95,900 |
| Systems Engineering (Master's Degree) | $94,700 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degree) | $94,400 |
| Computer and Information Sciences (Master's Degree) | $91,900 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) | $90,900 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $88,600 |
| Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degree) | $87,800 |
| Mining and Mineral Engineering (Associate's Degree) | $84,100 |
| Statistics (Master's Degree) | $81,500 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degree) | $81,200 |
| Chemistry (Doctoral Degree) | $74,900 |
| Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $74,100 |
| Geography and Cartography (Master's Degree) | $73,200 |
| Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $70,500 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $70,100 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degree) | $70,000 |
| Engineering Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $69,600 |
| Architectural Engineering (Master's Degree) | $68,400 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $67,800 |
| Architectural Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $67,300 |
| Industrial Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $67,200 |
| Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degree) | $66,500 |
| Computer Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $65,700 |
| Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $65,500 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $65,400 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $65,300 |
| Polymer/Plastics Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $65,100 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $65,000 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $63,200 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $63,000 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) | $62,700 |
| Materials Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $62,500 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $61,800 |
| Nuclear Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $61,400 |
| Curriculum and Instruction (Doctoral Degree) | $61,200 |
| Engineering, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) | $60,200 |
| Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $60,000 |
| Information Science/Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $59,700 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $58,500 |
| Agricultural Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $58,400 |
| Medicine (Master's Degree) | $58,300 |
| Public Administration (Master's Degree) | $57,900 |
| Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $57,200 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $56,200 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) | $55,600 |
| Public Health (Master's Degree) | $55,400 |
| Statistics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $55,300 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degree) | $53,300 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) | $52,300 |
| Food Science and Technology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $52,100 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degree) | $51,200 |
| Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degree) | $50,000 |
| Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $49,400 |
| Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $49,000 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $48,900 |
| Law (First Professional Degree) | $48,200 |
| Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $47,800 |
| Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $46,800 |
| Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degree) | $45,300 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $45,000 |
| Information Science/Studies (Associate's Degree) | $44,800 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $44,600 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $44,400 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $43,900 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $43,500 |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $43,400 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) | $43,100 |
| Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) | $42,800 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degree) | $42,700 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $42,600 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,700 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,000 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) | $40,800 |
| Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate) (Bachelor’s Degree) | $40,600 |
| Agricultural Business and Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,700 |
| Business/Commerce (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,100 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,000 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,500 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,000 |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Associate's Degree) | $37,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,900 |
| Business/Corporate Communications (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,300 |
| Business/Commerce (Associate's Degree) | $35,800 |
| Geography and Cartography (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,900 |
| Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,700 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,700 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,500 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,900 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degree) | $32,800 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,400 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,300 |
| Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,100 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $32,000 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,500 |
| Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,200 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,000 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,600 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,400 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,100 |
| International/Global Studies (Master's Degree) | $28,800 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,700 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,600 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,300 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,300 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,100 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,000 |
| Physics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,900 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,900 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,300 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,300 |
| Animal Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,200 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,200 |
| Visual and Performing Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,700 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,200 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,500 |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,400 |
| Music (Master's Degree) | $22,500 |
| Music (Bachelor’s Degree) | $22,100 |
| Natural Resources and Conservation, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) | $19,900 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Associate's Degree) | $19,200 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $18,500 |
| Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $17,800 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=214777 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Penn State Main Campus.