All Portland State University majors by area
- Humanities & Languages · 17
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 12
- Business & Finance · 10
- Science & Math · 8
- Arts & Design · 7
- Engineering · 6
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $31,571 | $57,438 | $16,500 |
| History | $24,612 | $54,131 | $31,000 |
| Linguistics | — | $51,925 | $29,671 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $23,253 | $50,949 | $30,250 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | $27,500 | $50,241 | $19,416 |
| Philosophy | $24,124 | $50,191 | $24,072 |
| English | $27,819 | $43,342 | $24,546 |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | $25,262 | $39,563 | $25,500 |
| Area Studies | — | — | — |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | $32,441 | — | $26,500 |
| German | — | — | — |
| International / Global Studies | — | — | — |
| Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | — | — | — |
| Religious Studies | — | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Writing | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance | $52,859 | $79,727 | $20,570 |
| Accounting | $58,069 | $77,226 | $31,000 |
| Economics | $47,865 | $75,482 | $24,949 |
| Business Administration | $51,358 | $71,621 | $25,000 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | $37,585 | $70,765 | $20,250 |
| Human Resources | $49,696 | $68,274 | $25,460 |
| Marketing | $41,395 | $61,499 | $19,500 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | — | — | — |
| Management Information Systems | — | — | — |
| Real Estate | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physics | $62,749 | $87,488 | $29,070 |
| Biochemistry | $40,230 | $75,765 | $25,000 |
| Chemistry | $35,395 | $70,948 | $24,773 |
| Mathematics | $37,427 | $68,280 | $26,480 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $31,512 | $58,961 | $29,250 |
| Geology / Earth Science | $37,831 | $57,932 | $24,125 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | $37,419 | $57,303 | $27,500 |
| Biology | $29,468 | $54,934 | $25,750 |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $35,304 | $56,158 | $26,995 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | — | $51,248 | — |
| Theatre | $25,352 | $45,692 | $39,773 |
| Film and Photography | $27,028 | $41,639 | $25,000 |
| Studio Art | $20,866 | $40,731 | $35,125 |
| Music | $17,638 | $34,160 | $27,846 |
| Dance | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Engineering | $82,853 | $101,905 | $29,593 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $73,079 | $94,223 | $29,113 |
| Civil Engineering | $67,509 | $86,084 | $31,000 |
| Architecture | $32,678 | $62,349 | $25,000 |
| Computer Engineering | $87,259 | — | $35,166 |
| Environmental Engineering | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Sciences | $37,709 | $59,961 | $19,750 |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | $35,615 | $59,563 | $23,907 |
| Public Health | $36,762 | $58,860 | $27,000 |
| Health Administration | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Education (Subject Teaching) | — | — | — |
| Special Education | — | — | — |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $78,669 | $113,889 | $31,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | — | — | — |
| Data Science | — | — | — |
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communications | $35,143 | $59,232 | $24,582 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies / Technicians | — | — | — |
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
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
Public Health → Health education specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry education: bachelor's degree.
BLS OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Across all majors, former Portland State University students earn a median $57,906 ten years after starting college, more than 45% of Oregon colleges we cover. 53% graduate within six years.
Portland State University majors questions
How many majors does Portland State University offer?
Portland State University offers 72 bachelor's majors across 10 areas; the most majors are in Humanities & Languages and Social Sciences & Public Service.
What is the highest-paying major at Portland State University?
Computer Science graduates from Portland State University earn a median $113,889 four years after graduating, the highest of the 49 majors with reported earnings. Their median debt is $31,000.
Which Portland State University majors earn the least?
Among majors with reported earnings, Music graduates earn the least: a median $34,160 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 Portland State University overview