How much money do Rhode Island College graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $33,700 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $42,000 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 RIC graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing with a median starting salary of $63,300 followed by Computer and Information Sciences paying $56,800 and Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions graduates who have a median starting income of $50,900 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Social Work (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $48,100 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Rhode Island 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 |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $63,300 |
| Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $56,800 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $50,900 |
| Social Work (Master's Degree) | $48,100 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $47,000 |
| Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $46,100 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $43,700 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,200 |
| Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,400 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,700 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $37,200 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,000 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,400 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,000 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,600 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,700 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,700 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,300 |
| Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,900 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,200 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $27,300 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,300 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,300 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,300 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,200 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,000 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=217420 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Rhode Island College.