Top-Paying College Degrees in 2024: What to Know

According to the 2024 College Salary Report by Payscale, petroleum engineering ranks as the highest-paying bachelor’s degree, with midcareer salary potential reaching $212,100. On the other hand, those opting for a two-year associate degree can find high-paying jobs as well, with instrumentation technology offering the top pay at $116,300.

Here are Payscale’s top-paying bachelor’s degrees at midcareer:

Petroleum Engineering:

$212,100

Operations Research and Industrial Engineering:

$202,600

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science:

$192,300

Interaction Design:

$178,800

Building Science:

$172,400

For associate degrees, the top earners by midcareer include:

Instrumentation Technology:

$116,300

Software Engineering:

$112,400

Radiation Therapy:

$109,500

Fire Technology:

$102,500

Instrumentation and Control Engineering:

$101,900

Despite rising concerns about the affordability of higher education, Amy Stewart, Principal of Research & Insights at Payscale, notes that “a college degree significantly impacts earning power,” adding that college graduates earn 37% more than those with only a high school diploma.

Top Colleges for High Pay

Ivy League and technical schools continue to dominate the list of institutions producing high-earning graduates. Here are some of the top-paying schools:

Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT):

$196,900

Princeton University:

$194,100

United States Naval Academy:

$187,800

Harvey Mudd College:

$185,900

Babson College:

$181,400

High-Paying Associate Degree Programs

Nursing programs rank among the highest-paying two-year degrees. Schools offering strong returns for nursing graduates include:

Helene Fuld College of Nursing:

$108,400

Laboure College:

$103,200

Pacific Union College:

$100,900

New York University:

$98,100

Lawrence Memorial Hospital School of Nursing:

$97,700

Overall, the report highlights how specialized degrees in fields like engineering, technology, and healthcare continue to offer the strongest financial returns,
even as the costs of higher education rise.