Although college is by no means the only path to a lucrative career, certain college degrees undeniably do help their owners to scale the ladder and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that those with a bachelor’s degree typically earn 80% more than those who left school with just a high school diploma. So whether you’re nearing college-age or are considering revisiting college to further your career, here are 10 of the best college degrees if money and career profitability are on your mind.
Law
A law degree, even from USC, one of the top 10 law schools in the US, doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to pursue a career in Law, though that career in itself is very profitable. Law graduates also tend to do very well in fields such as business, journalism, and politics with both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton just two of the U.S presidents to have graduated with law degrees. Whether you decide to go into the law or to pursue a different path, the law is considered to be one of the topmost lucrative college degrees and is highly prized across the world.
Electrical Engineering
A degree in electrical engineering can take a graduate into many fields, from computer design to research and development and even into entrepreneurship and product design. With so much of the world now reliant on electricity and its applications, electrical engineering is a degree that will set up its majors for the future.
Architecture
While the traditional path for an architecture student may be well defined, it brings with it profitable rewards with architects earning some of the best graduate salaries in the US. Despite architecture being a fairly one-way degree, nowadays some architecture graduates are choosing to apply their skills elsewhere, taking on graphic design jobs or jobs within technology companies helping to design new prototypes.
Business Management
Business majors earn on average $83,700 after graduating making it one of the top five most profitable degrees of all time. Business management degrees enable students to go into all manner of positions, ranging from analysts to managers and by adding on a Masters their prospects increase again. For those with a business mindset or who know that business is where they want to go, then a business management degree is hard to fault.
Sociology
Sociology majors tend to end up in careers as counselors, therapists, and researchers and although the degree sits outside of the STEM field, it still reaps its graduate’s very profitable rewards. Sociology can also be very beneficial in business, especially in HR or PR, in which an understanding of thinking behaviors is important.
Computer Science
Of course, a degree in computer science is up there as one of the most profitable graduate degrees, helping graduates to find employment in a number of fields including software design, information technology, and data security. With coding quickly becoming one of the most lucrative languages, anyone with a degree in computer science is bound to do well.
Industrial Engineering
A design engineering degree teaches graduates how to create efficient systems for the delivery of manufactured products whether that be toothbrushes, cars or medicines. Although factories are some of the biggest employers of those with an industrial engineering degree, graduates also find themselves sought after by the aerospace industry, NASA and the machine manufacturing industry.
Biomedical Engineering
It turns out that mechanical, electrical and industrial engineering isn’t the only profitable engineering degrees and biomedical engineering can provide its graduates with great prospects too. A biomedical degree applies the principles of engineering to biology in a medical context helping to close the gap between engineering and medicine to save lives in a healthcare setting. For those who love science, engineering, and medicine, a biomedical degree is a great career booster.
Applied Mathematics
Applied mathematics combines the mathematical methods found in different fields including science, engineering, business, and computer science making it a highly prized degree in many industries. A degree in applied mathematics shows more than just an ability to crunch difficult numbers and can contribute significantly to solving global problems.
Statistics
A degree in statistics combines mathematics with computer science as well as the physical and social sciences and can lead to careers in actuarial science, data analytics, quantitative analysis, and computer systems for companies ranging from small scale startups to sports clubs and even the federal government.
