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Programs & majors brief

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# Eastern Kentucky University Majors & Programs

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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 professions**351 · 14.2%**
-   Business**340 · 13.7%**
-   Homeland security**329 · 13.3%**
-   Psychology**203 · 8.2%**
-   Liberal arts**164 · 6.6%**
-   Other**1,091 · 44.0%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

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

| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | 120 | $92,289 | #2 |
| Construction Management | 29 | $88,120 | #26 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 141 | $83,920 | #216 |
| Fire Protection | 64 | $80,497 | #2 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 25 | $77,992 | #37 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 29 | $68,774 | #198 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 33 | $68,249 | #239 |
| Homeland Security | 77 | $67,096 | #4 |
| Air Transportation | 76 | $66,943 | #28 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 76 | $66,530 | #7 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 36 | $63,685 | #182 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions small degree count | 17 | $63,533 | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services small degree count | 10 | $59,838 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 53 | $59,609 | #269 |
| Business/Commerce, General | 86 | $57,724 | #61 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 20 | $55,570 | #65 |
| Marketing | 49 | $53,559 | #207 |
| Agricultural Production Operations small degree count | 19 | $53,450 | — |
| Chemistry | 37 | $52,216 | #147 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 72 | $51,386 | #170 |
| Public Health | 44 | $51,086 | #91 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 28 | $50,818 | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication small degree count | 9 | $49,272 | — |
| Biology, General | 90 | $48,327 | #335 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 180 | $47,882 | #163 |
| Social Work | 78 | $46,705 | #173 |
| Political Science and Government | 30 | $43,786 | #301 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 164 | $43,352 | #159 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas small degree count | 17 | $41,893 | — |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 20 | $41,877 | #28 |
| Psychology, General | 203 | $41,384 | #316 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 22 | $41,368 | #64 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | 23 | $40,149 | #19 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 28 | $39,921 | #88 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 22 | $38,991 | #80 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 85 | $38,951 | #228 |
| Music | 25 | $37,673 | #132 |
| American Sign Language | 21 | $36,755 | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 27 | $35,365 | #209 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 24 | $35,203 | #295 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 41 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians small degree count | 15 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Legal Support Services | 29 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Statistics small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 26 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| International/Globalization Studies small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Philosophy small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Security Science and Technology small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Sociology | 23 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Anthropology small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Insurance | 21 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 20 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| History small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |

[Program data and definitions](#page-sources) · [How to evaluate program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## 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](#page-sources)

## 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## Further analysis

Outcomes vary by field, and [Azimuth's program ranking](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)s 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](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).