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Programs & majors brief

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# Ferris State University Majors & Programs

Updated October 1, 2026

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

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## Which majors earn the most at Ferris State University?

The five largest programs at Ferris State University show a clear split between higher-earning technical fields and more moderate-earning professional programs. Criminal Justice awards the most degrees, at 249 a year, with median earnings of $60,325 four years after completion.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #23 nationally within its field. Two technical programs sit at the higher end of the earnings range.

Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians graduates earn a median of $82,821 from 106 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks the program #10 nationally. Nursing posts $81,718 across 107 degrees, with a national rank of #247.

At the more moderate end, Design and Applied Arts reports $50,658 from 101 degrees awarded, with a national rank of #68. The spread between the highest- and lowest-earning large programs is wide.

### 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.

-   Business**414 · 22.0%**
-   Engineering technologies**267 · 14.2%**
-   Homeland security**249 · 13.2%**
-   Health professions**240 · 12.7%**
-   Visual and performing arts**135 · 7.2%**
-   Other**579 · 30.7%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

47 of 47 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians 99 degrees awarded**
$91,993

**Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management 28 degrees awarded**
$91,678

**Construction Management 66 degrees awarded**
$90,504

**Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians 34 degrees awarded**
$88,670

**Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians 15 degrees awarded**
$86,348

**Computer and Information Sciences, General 17 degrees awarded**
$85,131

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | 99 | $91,993 | #1 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 28 | $91,678 | #19 |
| Construction Management | 66 | $90,504 | #16 |
| Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians | 34 | $88,670 | — |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians small degree count | 15 | $86,348 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General small degree count | 17 | $85,131 | — |
| Surveying Engineering small degree count | 13 | $84,958 | — |
| Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians small degree count | 10 | $83,528 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | 106 | $82,821 | #10 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 107 | $81,718 | #247 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 32 | $80,996 | #8 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions small degree count | 17 | $76,031 | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services small degree count | 11 | $75,797 | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services small degree count | 17 | $66,054 | — |
| Marketing | 29 | $66,023 | #155 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions small degree count | 16 | $64,703 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 181 | $64,131 | #212 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions small degree count | 15 | $63,582 | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | 37 | $62,718 | #15 |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | 25 | $61,884 | #3 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 249 | $60,325 | #23 |
| Biology, General | 77 | $56,878 | #229 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 39 | $56,774 | #58 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 43 | $54,837 | #97 |
| Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians small degree count | 13 | $54,031 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 54 | $53,742 | #279 |
| Social Work | 45 | $53,351 | #104 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 30 | $51,484 | #103 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 20 | $51,396 | #75 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 101 | $50,658 | #68 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 26 | $49,983 | #73 |
| Psychology, General | 37 | $49,596 | #255 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management small degree count | 9 | $48,367 | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies small degree count | 19 | $47,823 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 57 | $45,053 | #198 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 29 | $45,052 | #73 |
| Graphic Communications | 71 | $44,116 | #7 |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians small degree count | 15 | $43,507 | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts small degree count | 11 | $39,165 | — |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biotechnology small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Applied Mathematics small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Political Science and Government small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Public Health small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Insurance small degree count | 5 | 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 Ferris State University?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Criminal Justice and Corrections**
249

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
181

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**
107

**Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians**
106

**Design and Applied Arts**
101

**Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians**
99

**Biology, General**
77

**Graphic Communications**
71

**Construction Management**
66

**Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods**
57

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. [Program data and definitions](#page-sources)

## How do Ferris State University majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians**#1**
2.  Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations**#3**
3.  Graphic Communications**#7**
4.  Manufacturing Engineering**#8**
5.  Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians**#10**
6.  Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other**#15**
7.  Construction Management**#16**
8.  Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management**#19**
9.  Criminal Justice and Corrections**#23**
10.  Business Administration, Management and Operations Included by program size**#212**

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

Ferris State University has 39 programs with published earnings data, 24 of which carry a national rank. The degree mix is anchored in technology and business.

Business accounts for 22.0% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Engineering Technologies at 14.2% and Security & Protective Services at 13.2%. Criminal Justice is the largest single program at 249 degrees a year.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #23 nationally and #1 in Michigan, with completers earning a median of $60,325 four years after graduation. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians is the highest-ranked program, at #1 nationally, where graduates earn $91,993.

## 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/).