A new report finds that science degrees are outperforming every other discipline as measured in total lifetime earnings. From civil to aerospace, every engineering degree outranks all other degrees. Computer science comes in a close second to engineering degrees, with finance placing as the highest-earning non-science degree.
My one-time research partner, Brad Hershbein over at the Hamilton Project for the Brookings Institute, analyzed lifetime earnings for a variety of majors and found that the typical bachelor’s degree earns you a lifetime of $1.19 million, twice what the average high school degree holder earns. Engineering degree holders earn nearly $2 million over their lifetime, while an early child education major earns the least at around $750,000.
Biology is the one exception in the science degrees analyzed. Folks with a biology degree earn less than the average of all majors, including nursing, marketing, and business. Yet even as the worst performing science degree, it still outranks every single social science and humanities major.
Of course, this isn’t to say that humanities are not valuable. But, alone, they don’t produce the kinds of skills that are in demand.
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Readers can see the full report here.
