Majors & Return on Investment

Is your major worth the debt?

Starting salary isn't everything, but it's the number that determines whether your loan payment is a minor monthly bill or a financial emergency. Here's how 20 common majors compare — and what it means for how much you should actually borrow.

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Deep dives

Full breakdowns for the majors people ask about most:

🩺 Is Nursing Worth the Debt?

High demand, strong starting pay, and a clearer path than most majors — but program costs vary wildly.

💻 Is Computer Science Worth the Debt?

The highest average starting salary on this list — but also the most volatile entry-level job market.

📚 Is an Education Degree Worth the Debt?

The lowest average starting salary here — meaning how much you borrow matters more than for any other major.

Starting salary by major

These are entry-level, median starting salary estimates — actual offers vary by employer, location, and specific role. Use the loan-to-income ratio as a planning guardrail, not a verdict on the major itself.

MajorStarting salary (est.)Safe borrowing guide

How to use this table

The "safe borrowing guide" column applies the same 1x rule used throughout this site: financial advisors broadly agree that total student loan debt shouldn't exceed your expected first-year salary. If a major's starting salary is $45,000, that's roughly the ceiling for total borrowing across all years of school — not per year.

This doesn't mean lower-paying majors "aren't worth it." Plenty of people build meaningful, sustainable careers in education, social work, or the arts. It means the math only works if the cost side of the equation — how much you actually borrow — stays proportional to what the field pays. A $30,000 salary can comfortably support $20,000–25,000 in total debt; it cannot comfortably support $80,000.

The variable that matters most: where you go, not just what you study

The single biggest lever most students control isn't their major — it's the net price of the school itself. Two students majoring in the same field can graduate with wildly different debt loads depending on aid generosity, in-state vs. out-of-state status, and scholarships. Run your specific numbers in the true cost calculator before assuming a major is or isn't affordable.

Frequently asked questions

Should I pick a major based on salary alone?
No — job satisfaction, aptitude, and long-term career growth matter enormously, and starting salary is a weak predictor of lifetime earnings in many fields. But salary does directly determine how much debt you can safely take on, which is why it matters specifically for the borrowing decision, separate from the career decision.
Do these salaries account for cost of living?
No, these are national median estimates. A $45,000 salary goes much further in a low cost-of-living area than in a major coastal city — factor in where you're likely to work, not just the national average.
What if my major has a wide salary range (like art or communications)?
Use the lower end of the realistic range for borrowing decisions, not the best-case outcome. It's much easier to be pleasantly surprised by a higher salary than to be stuck with debt sized for a job offer that never came.