Programs & majors brief

Eastern Kentucky University Majors & Programs

Updated

Which majors earn the most at Eastern Kentucky University?

Among the larger fields at Eastern Kentucky University, Nursing stands apart with median earnings of $83,920 four years after completion and 141 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks it #216 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

More moderate earnings appear in Criminal Justice, at $47,882 with 180 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #163 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Liberal Arts and General Studies recorded $43,352 across 164 degrees awarded and ranks #159 nationally by Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Psychology posted $41,384 with 203 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #316 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The program figures show a clear separation between the higher-earning nursing field and these more moderate-earning large fields.

Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

  • Health professions351 · 14.2%
  • Business340 · 13.7%
  • Homeland security329 · 13.3%
  • Psychology203 · 8.2%
  • Liberal arts164 · 6.6%
  • Other1,091 · 44.0%

56 of 56 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians 120 degrees awarded
$92,289
Construction Management 29 degrees awarded
$88,120
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 141 degrees awarded
$83,920
Fire Protection 64 degrees awarded
$80,497
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions 25 degrees awarded
$77,992
Computer and Information Sciences, General 29 degrees awarded
$68,774

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs
Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks
ProgramDegrees awarded4-yr earningsField rank
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians120$92,289#2
Construction Management29$88,120#26
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing141$83,920#216
Fire Protection64$80,497#2
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions25$77,992#37
Computer and Information Sciences, General29$68,774#198
Business Administration, Management and Operations33$68,249#239
Homeland Security77$67,096#4
Air Transportation76$66,943#28
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions76$66,530#7
Finance and Financial Management Services36$63,685#182
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions small degree count17$63,533—
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services small degree count10$59,838—
Accounting and Related Services53$59,609#269
Business/Commerce, General86$57,724#61
Health and Medical Administrative Services20$55,570#65
Marketing49$53,559#207
Agricultural Production Operations small degree count19$53,450—
Chemistry37$52,216#147
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness72$51,386#170
Public Health44$51,086#91
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services28$50,818—
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication small degree count9$49,272—
Biology, General90$48,327#335
Criminal Justice and Corrections180$47,882#163
Social Work78$46,705#173
Political Science and Government30$43,786#301
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities164$43,352#159
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas small degree count17$41,893—
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management20$41,877#28
Psychology, General203$41,384#316
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication22$41,368#64
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management23$40,149#19
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services28$39,921#88
Special Education and Teaching22$38,991#80
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods85$38,951#228
Music25$37,673#132
American Sign Language21$36,755—
Fine and Studio Arts27$35,365#209
English Language and Literature, General24$35,203#295
Communication and Media Studies41Too few graduates to report—
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians small degree count15Too few graduates to report—
Engineering-Related Fields small degree count11Too few graduates to report—
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Legal Support Services29Too few graduates to report—
Statistics small degree count8Too few graduates to report—
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other26Too few graduates to report—
International/Globalization Studies small degree count10Too few graduates to report—
Philosophy small degree count6Too few graduates to report—
Security Science and Technology small degree count8Too few graduates to report—
Sociology23Too few graduates to report—
Anthropology small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Insurance21Too few graduates to report—
Management Information Systems and Services20Too few graduates to report—
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations small degree count13Too few graduates to report—
History small degree count14Too few graduates to report—

Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings

What are the largest programs at Eastern Kentucky University?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded
Psychology, General
203
Criminal Justice and Corrections
180
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
164
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
141
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians
120
Biology, General
90
Business/Commerce, General
86
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
85
Social Work
78
Homeland Security
77

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions

How do Eastern Kentucky University majors rank nationally?

National program rankings

  1. Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians#2
  2. Fire Protection#2
  3. Homeland Security#4
  4. Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions#7
  5. Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management#19
  6. Construction Management#26
  7. Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management#28
  8. Air Transportation#28
  9. Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions#37
  10. Psychology, General Included by program size#316

Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

How Azimuth compares programs across colleges

Further analysis

Outcomes vary by field, and Azimuth's program rankings evaluate four-year earnings among federally aided completers, debt, and cohort size rather than reputation. Eastern Kentucky University has 40 programs with published earnings data, 33 of which carry an Azimuth national rank.

The degree mix is led by three families: Health Professions accounts for 14.2% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Business at 13.7% and Security & Protective Services at 13.3%. The largest single program is Psychology, at 203 degrees awarded in a year, with median earnings of $41,384 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks it #316 nationally and #6 in Kentucky. The highest-earning program is Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, where completers earn a median of $92,289 four years after completion, from 120 degrees awarded a year.

Nursing, a larger program at 141 degrees, has median earnings of $83,920 and ranks #216 nationally.

Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: methodology.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.