1.  [College research](/)
2.  /
3.  [Michigan State University](/school/michigan-state-university/)
4.  /
5.  Programs & majors brief

Programs & majors brief

Copy linkPrint brief

# Michigan State University Majors & Programs

Updated September 30, 2026

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

**On this page**+

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

Michigan State University fields with published four-year earnings number 82, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 73 of them nationally. The highest-earning program, Computer and Information Sciences, shows a median of $116,905 four years after completion, alongside 290 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #26.

Several large programs sit in a more moderate earnings band. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, the biggest by degrees awarded at 552, reports median earnings of $69,300 and an Azimuth national rank of #17.

Biology awarded 521 degrees and reaches $64,018, ranking #78 nationally. Psychology, with 476 degrees awarded, shows median earnings of $56,040 and an Azimuth national rank of #77.

### 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**1,450 · 15.7%**
-   Biological sciences**1,273 · 13.8%**
-   Communication**1,093 · 11.8%**
-   Engineering**822 · 8.9%**
-   Social sciences**755 · 8.2%**
-   Other**3,844 · 41.6%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

94 of 94 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Computer and Information Sciences, General 290 degrees awarded**
$116,905

**Computer Engineering 56 degrees awarded**
$104,627

**Engineering, General 85 degrees awarded**
$102,301

**Chemical Engineering 102 degrees awarded**
$102,223

**Finance and Financial Management Services 361 degrees awarded**
$102,017

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 101 degrees awarded**
$100,481

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 290 | $116,905 | #26 |
| Computer Engineering | 56 | $104,627 | #81 |
| Engineering, General | 85 | $102,301 | #6 |
| Chemical Engineering | 102 | $102,223 | #39 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 361 | $102,017 | #30 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 101 | $100,481 | #74 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 277 | $97,946 | #48 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods small degree count | 14 | $97,236 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 164 | $96,093 | #39 |
| Materials Engineering | 28 | $95,761 | #9 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 41 | $95,387 | #17 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 172 | $94,143 | #4 |
| Statistics | 65 | $93,930 | #23 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 425 | $91,187 | #33 |
| Civil Engineering | 82 | $90,650 | #53 |
| Marketing | 185 | $90,453 | #19 |
| Agricultural Engineering | 49 | $86,498 | #12 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 147 | $85,886 | #7 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 183 | $80,129 | #264 |
| Engineering, Other | 42 | $79,609 | #14 |
| Economics | 275 | $79,428 | #95 |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 6 | $75,147 | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 87 | $74,709 | #20 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 33 | $73,880 | #27 |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 110 | $72,414 | #4 |
| Mathematics | 77 | $72,226 | #79 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | 60 | $70,940 | #36 |
| Food Science and Technology | 32 | $70,380 | #18 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 154 | $69,651 | #7 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 552 | $69,300 | #17 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | 55 | $69,108 | #28 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 29 | $68,913 | #4 |
| Soil Sciences | 22 | $67,666 | #3 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 312 | $67,290 | #21 |
| Political Science and Government | 137 | $67,032 | #87 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 54 | $66,437 | #8 |
| Chemistry | 48 | $65,983 | #85 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services small degree count | 9 | $65,667 | — |
| International/Globalization Studies | 56 | $64,372 | #20 |
| Biology, General | 521 | $64,018 | #78 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 83 | $63,419 | #56 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 202 | $62,715 | #24 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 13 | $62,448 | — |
| Sociology | 118 | $62,204 | #39 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 50 | $61,953 | #29 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 137 | $61,309 | #18 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 441 | $60,807 | #62 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 74 | $60,728 | #49 |
| Journalism | 100 | $59,498 | #33 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 31 | $59,315 | #56 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 65 | $58,989 | #13 |
| Social Sciences, General | 96 | $58,797 | #16 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 22 | $58,535 | #22 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 32 | $58,522 | #22 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 255 | $58,046 | #30 |
| Social Work | 54 | $57,321 | #52 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 26 | $56,662 | #20 |
| Geography and Cartography small degree count | 15 | $56,515 | — |
| Psychology, General | 476 | $56,040 | #77 |
| Forestry small degree count | 13 | $55,724 | — |
| Genetics | 78 | $55,404 | #6 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 31 | $55,159 | #16 |
| Animal Sciences | 126 | $54,751 | #13 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 113 | $53,740 | #26 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 98 | $53,250 | #76 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 7 | $53,183 | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 11 | $52,496 | — |
| Education, General | 131 | $52,243 | #8 |
| Music | 56 | $52,132 | #30 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 28 | $51,436 | #146 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 22 | $50,127 | #121 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 21 | $50,098 | #52 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | 64 | $49,948 | #3 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 22 | $49,377 | #20 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 66 | $49,154 | #161 |
| Plant Sciences | 28 | $47,404 | #30 |
| History | 52 | $47,224 | #210 |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | 22 | $46,669 | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 42 | $45,167 | #86 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 31 | $42,820 | #52 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 111 | $41,768 | #18 |
| Anthropology | 27 | $41,512 | #118 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Botany/Plant Biology small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 22 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 54 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computational Science | 28 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Science, Technology and Society small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Philosophy small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Physics | 53 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 22 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other small degree count | 12 | 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 Michigan State University?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication**
552

**Biology, General**
521

**Psychology, General**
476

**Communication and Media Studies**
441

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
425

**Finance and Financial Management Services**
361

**Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**
312

**Computer and Information Sciences, General**
290

**Mechanical Engineering**
277

**Economics**
275

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

## How do Michigan State University majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Soil Sciences**#3**
2.  Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management**#3**
3.  Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy**#4**
4.  Engineering-Related Fields**#4**
5.  Non-Professional Legal Studies**#4**
6.  Engineering, General**#6**
7.  Genetics**#6**
8.  Hospitality Administration/Management**#7**
9.  Human Resources Management and Services**#7**
10.  Education, General**#8**
11.  Nutrition Sciences**#8**
12.  Materials Engineering**#9**
13.  Agricultural Engineering**#12**
14.  Animal Sciences**#13**
15.  Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services**#13**
16.  Engineering, Other**#14**
17.  Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology**#16**
18.  Social Sciences, General**#16**
19.  Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication**#17**
20.  Construction Engineering Technology/Technician**#17**
21.  Food Science and Technology**#18**
22.  Zoology/Animal Biology**#18**
23.  Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences**#18**
24.  Marketing**#19**
25.  Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies**#20**
26.  International/Globalization Studies**#20**
27.  Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management**#20**
28.  International Relations and National Security Studies**#20**
29.  Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**#21**
30.  Special Education and Teaching**#22**
31.  Public Policy Analysis**#22**
32.  Statistics**#23**
33.  Criminal Justice and Corrections**#24**
34.  Computer and Information Sciences, General**#26**
35.  Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services**#26**
36.  Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management**#27**
37.  Agricultural Business and Management**#28**
38.  Microbiological Sciences and Immunology**#29**
39.  Plant Sciences**#30**
40.  Neurobiology and Neurosciences**#30**
41.  Music**#30**
42.  Finance and Financial Management Services**#30**
43.  Journalism**#33**
44.  Business Administration, Management and Operations**#33**
45.  Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions**#36**
46.  Chemical Engineering**#39**
47.  Sociology**#39**
48.  Accounting and Related Services**#39**
49.  Mechanical Engineering**#48**
50.  Natural Resources Conservation and Research**#49**

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 at Michigan State University vary sharply by field, and [Azimuth's program ranking](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)s are built to show that. The rankings evaluate four-year earnings among federally aided completers, median debt, and cohort size rather than reputation.

The university has 73 ranked programs and published earnings data for 82 fields of study. The degree mix is broad, with three families accounting for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees awarded.

Business leads at 15.7% of degrees, followed by Biological Sciences at 13.8% and Communication & Journalism at 11.8%. Award counts here are degrees conferred in one academic year, not a count of students.

Among the largest programs, Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication awards 552 degrees a year and Azimuth ranks it #17 nationally. Computer and Information Sciences is the highest-earning program, with a median of $116,905 four years after completion and a national rank of #26.

Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management, a smaller program at 64 degrees a year, holds the university's strongest national rank at #3.

## 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/).