All MSU majors by area
- Science & Math · 28
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 15
- Engineering · 13
- Business & Finance · 9
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Arts & Design · 6
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics | $63,649 | $93,930 | $25,625 |
| Mathematics | $47,951 | $72,226 | $21,500 |
| Food Science and Technology | $59,342 | $70,380 | $25,000 |
| Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy | $48,967 | $68,913 | $21,755 |
| Soil Sciences | $50,770 | $67,666 | $21,859 |
| Chemistry | $39,531 | $65,983 | $28,481 |
| Biology | $26,435 | $64,018 | $26,849 |
| Biochemistry | $38,243 | $63,419 | $22,774 |
| Geology / Earth Science | $39,997 | $62,448 | $29,869 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $38,726 | $61,953 | $29,301 |
| Physiology | $29,642 | $61,309 | $23,384 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $37,170 | $60,728 | $23,750 |
| Neuroscience | $27,183 | $58,046 | $25,020 |
| Forestry | $39,178 | $55,724 | $31,000 |
| Genetics | $26,713 | $55,404 | $25,125 |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | $29,318 | $55,159 | $26,500 |
| Animal Sciences | $41,292 | $54,751 | $26,000 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | $27,762 | $49,948 | $28,425 |
| Plant Sciences | $35,701 | $47,404 | $24,250 |
| Zoology / Animal Biology | $26,801 | $41,768 | $27,000 |
| Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs | — | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | — | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | $33,373 | — | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | — | — | — |
| Botany / Plant Biology | — | — | — |
| Physical Sciences | — | — | — |
| Physics | $33,400 | — | $27,000 |
| Sustainability Studies | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | $75,147 | — |
| Linguistics | — | $65,667 | $24,915 |
| International / Global Studies | $38,410 | $64,372 | $27,000 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $35,658 | $59,315 | $28,000 |
| Writing | $33,401 | $56,662 | $25,750 |
| German | $55,691 | $53,183 | $23,000 |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | $27,856 | $52,496 | $20,620 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $30,916 | $51,436 | $27,312 |
| English | $28,927 | $49,154 | $25,443 |
| History | $32,434 | $47,224 | $27,000 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $26,133 | $45,167 | $26,130 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | — | — | — |
| Philosophy | — | — | — |
| Religious Studies | — | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $83,934 | $104,627 | $24,999 |
| Engineering | $75,058 | $102,301 | $22,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | $79,023 | $102,223 | $26,573 |
| Electrical Engineering | $83,874 | $100,481 | $22,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $80,259 | $97,946 | $24,000 |
| Materials Engineering | $78,276 | $95,761 | $27,925 |
| Construction Engineering Technology / Technician | $74,518 | $95,387 | $25,363 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $76,563 | $94,143 | $23,756 |
| Civil Engineering | $72,048 | $90,650 | $27,000 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $65,396 | $86,498 | $28,000 |
| Engineering, Other | $67,007 | $79,609 | $22,875 |
| City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | — | $71,158 | — |
| Landscape Architecture | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | $68,103 | $102,017 | $23,250 |
| Management Science / Analytics | $69,443 | $97,236 | $23,250 |
| Accounting | $65,965 | $96,093 | $23,250 |
| Business Administration | $71,253 | $91,187 | $23,250 |
| Marketing | $57,275 | $90,453 | $23,896 |
| Human Resources | $56,501 | $85,886 | $23,475 |
| Economics | $54,013 | $79,428 | $24,250 |
| Hospitality Management | $41,069 | $69,651 | $22,625 |
| Agricultural Business | $57,023 | $69,108 | $24,125 |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $75,081 | $80,129 | $28,500 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $47,202 | $70,940 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $28,045 | $67,290 | $26,000 |
| Nutrition Science | $28,759 | $66,437 | $25,000 |
| Dietetics | $25,301 | $58,989 | $24,750 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | — | $51,658 | $27,422 |
| Veterinary / Animal Health Technologies / Technicians | $41,400 | $46,669 | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $36,784 | $53,250 | $28,175 |
| Music | $38,656 | $52,132 | $26,750 |
| Studio Art | $19,566 | $50,098 | $30,875 |
| Theatre | $17,328 | $42,820 | $22,250 |
| Film and Photography | — | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public Relations and Advertising | $45,158 | $69,300 | $23,899 |
| Communications | $36,390 | $60,807 | $26,750 |
| Journalism | $36,912 | $59,498 | $24,985 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Education | — | $58,522 | $26,375 |
| Education | $44,705 | $52,243 | $27,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | — | $50,127 | $27,437 |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $86,192 | $116,905 | $24,022 |
| Information Technology | $48,185 | $73,880 | $23,442 |
| Computational Science | — | — | — |
College Scorecard field of study, latest release: median earnings of graduates who received federal aid, 1 and 4 years after graduating; median federal loan debt. — means too few graduates to report.
From major to career
Public Relations and Advertising → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry education: bachelor's degree.
BLS OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry education: bachelor's degree.
BLS OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Across all majors, former MSU students earn a median $67,253 ten years after starting college, more than 88% of Michigan colleges we cover. 81% graduate within six years.
MSU majors questions
How many majors does MSU offer?
Michigan State University offers 105 bachelor's majors across 10 areas; the most majors are in Science & Math and Humanities & Languages.
What is the highest-paying major at MSU?
Computer and Information Sciences graduates from Michigan State University earn a median $116,905 four years after graduating, the highest of the 84 majors with reported earnings. Their median debt is $24,022.
Which MSU majors earn the least?
Among majors with reported earnings, Anthropology graduates earn the least: a median $41,512 four years after graduating.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections). Back to Michigan State University overview