Majors matter when it comes to making money

Study reveals top, bottom earning college majors

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Do you think where you went to school mattered more than what you majored in?  A recent study out of Georgetown University says what you studied, not where you graduated, has a bigger impact on how much you'll make.

The study says petroleum engineering majors make on average $120,000 right out of college. That's the average salary for full-time workers with a bachelor's degree.

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The top five earning degrees were all engineering-related: petroleum engineering, pharmacy sciences, computer science, aerospace engineering, and chemical engineering.

On the other side of the scale were mostly civil works: social work, human services, theology and religious studies, early childhood education, and counseling psychology.

The study also looked at differences in gender.  Males earned the least with a visual and performing arts degree, which was also one of the only categories females earned more than males.  The highest earning degree held by women was a pharmaceutical science and administration, which averages $100,000 a year.

Find out more about the Georgetown University study and see what specific majors are making in What's It Worth? The Economic Value of College Majors.