Programs & majors brief
North Carolina State University at Raleigh Majors & Programs
Which majors earn the most at NC State?
70 of 70 programs shown
Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.
Compare all matching programs
| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 281 | $113,478 | #69 |
| Computer Engineering | 136 | $110,416 | #47 |
| Chemical Engineering | 161 | $104,705 | #20 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 184 | $102,178 | #51 |
| Nuclear Engineering small degree count | 16 | $100,212 | — |
| Industrial Engineering | 102 | $100,172 | #18 |
| Engineering, General | 35 | $99,838 | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 127 | $98,129 | #28 |
| Construction Engineering small degree count | 15 | $94,505 | — |
| Mathematics | 57 | $92,594 | #37 |
| Materials Engineering | 43 | $89,968 | #14 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 64 | $89,932 | #44 |
| Science Technologies/Technicians, Other small degree count | 18 | $89,826 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 249 | $87,112 | #164 |
| Forestry | 81 | $86,357 | #1 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 34 | $85,808 | #10 |
| Civil Engineering | 107 | $85,568 | #93 |
| Statistics | 64 | $85,090 | #26 |
| Agricultural Engineering | 37 | $84,848 | #13 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 841 | $84,349 | #35 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 179 | $83,689 | #74 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 103 | $82,096 | #19 |
| Chemistry | 37 | $76,978 | #23 |
| Architecture | 20 | $76,695 | #7 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 126 | $75,508 | #2 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 51 | $73,362 | #5 |
| Food Science and Technology small degree count | 15 | $72,782 | — |
| Textile Sciences and Engineering | 204 | $71,837 | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 66 | $71,136 | #27 |
| Environmental Design | 21 | $69,851 | #1 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | 113 | $68,671 | #19 |
| Science, Technology and Society | 55 | $67,468 | #5 |
| Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians small degree count | 15 | $66,491 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 31 | $65,594 | #31 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 47 | $64,510 | #25 |
| Political Science and Government | 190 | $62,824 | #113 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 240 | $62,039 | #58 |
| Psychology, General | 305 | $62,032 | #34 |
| Biology, General | 415 | $61,384 | #98 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 65 | $61,382 | #43 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 39 | $61,023 | #36 |
| Botany/Plant Biology | 26 | $60,715 | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 139 | $60,488 | #52 |
| Agricultural Mechanization | 22 | $60,122 | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 55 | $60,031 | #12 |
| Philosophy | 20 | $58,285 | #33 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 90 | $57,022 | #40 |
| Genetics | 32 | $55,319 | #8 |
| Criminology | 55 | $55,303 | #26 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 28 | $54,007 | #19 |
| Agriculture, General | 23 | $53,969 | #17 |
| Animal Sciences | 213 | $53,226 | #11 |
| Social Work | 67 | $53,209 | #86 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 47 | $52,233 | #8 |
| Sociology | 59 | $52,142 | #136 |
| Plant Sciences | 53 | $51,696 | #20 |
| Physics | 34 | $51,590 | #70 |
| History | 65 | $49,500 | #147 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 71 | $48,824 | #134 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 85 | $48,338 | #150 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 131 | $46,772 | #124 |
| Anthropology | 27 | $45,890 | #81 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 53 | $38,440 | #22 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 25 | $35,867 | — |
| Agricultural Production Operations small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 27 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Education, General small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 27 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings
What are the largest programs at NC State?
Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions
How do NC State majors rank nationally?
National program rankings
- Forestry#1
- Environmental Design#1
- Nutrition Sciences#2
- Science, Technology and Society#5
- International/Globalization Studies#5
- Architecture#7
- Genetics#8
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management#8
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering#10
- Animal Sciences#11
- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services#12
- Agricultural Engineering#13
- Materials Engineering#14
- Agriculture, General#17
- Industrial Engineering#18
- Agricultural Business and Management#19
- Fine and Studio Arts#19
- Business/Managerial Economics#19
- Plant Sciences#20
- Chemical Engineering#20
- Zoology/Animal Biology#22
- Chemistry#23
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology#25
- Statistics#26
- Criminology#26
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology#27
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering#28
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities#31
- Philosophy#33
- Psychology, General#34
- Business Administration, Management and Operations#35
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences#36
- Mathematics#37
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas#40
- Design and Applied Arts#43
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering#44
- Computer Engineering#47
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.
Further analysis
Outcomes at North Carolina State University at Raleigh vary sharply by field, and Azimuth's program rankings evaluate four-year earnings among federally aided completers, debt, and cohort size rather than reputation. The university publishes earnings data for 64 bachelor's programs, and 54 of those carry a national rank.
The degree mix is concentrated in Engineering, which accounts for 23.2% of degrees awarded, followed by Business at 17.2% and Biological Sciences at 9.8%. The largest program is Business Administration and Management, with 841 degrees awarded in a year and a median of $84,349 four years after completion.
Azimuth ranks it #35 nationally and #2 in North Carolina. The best-paid program is Computer Science, with median earnings of $113,478 four years after completion and a national rank of #69.
Forestry holds the strongest national rank at #1, with median earnings of $86,357.
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.