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Programs & majors brief

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# Northwestern University Majors & Programs

Updated September 30, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## Which majors earn the most at Northwestern?

Northwestern University awards bachelor's degrees across 29 fields with published four-year earnings, and the highest-earning program is Information Science/Studies, where completers earn a median of $163,740 four years after completion. Computer Science follows at $155,106 with 102 degrees awarded, and Applied Mathematics reaches $148,740 on 34 degrees awarded.

Economics is both the most awarded program at 335 degrees and one of the highest-earning, with a median of $126,006 and an Azimuth national rank of #18. By contrast, Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, the second-largest program at 253 degrees awarded, shows a median of $51,471.

Psychology and Biology sit between those poles, with medians of $73,646 and $71,181 respectively.

### 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.

-   Social sciences**514 · 19.2%**
-   Communication**343 · 12.8%**
-   Engineering**297 · 11.1%**
-   Biological sciences**253 · 9.5%**
-   Psychology**198 · 7.4%**
-   Other**1,067 · 39.9%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

57 of 57 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Information Science/Studies 78 degrees awarded**
$163,740

**Computer Science 102 degrees awarded**
$155,106

**Applied Mathematics 34 degrees awarded**
$148,740

**Industrial Engineering 55 degrees awarded**
$138,720

**Economics 335 degrees awarded**
$126,006

**Statistics 56 degrees awarded**
$122,682

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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Information Science/Studies | 78 | $163,740 | #1 |
| Computer Science | 102 | $155,106 | #28 |
| Applied Mathematics | 34 | $148,740 | — |
| Industrial Engineering | 55 | $138,720 | #1 |
| Economics | 335 | $126,006 | #18 |
| Statistics | 56 | $122,682 | #6 |
| Chemical Engineering | 34 | $111,040 | #15 |
| Human Resources Management and Services small degree count | 16 | $108,498 | — |
| Mathematics | 62 | $107,072 | #17 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 43 | $102,994 | #21 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 72 | $98,277 | #46 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 27 | $97,819 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 90 | $93,541 | #2 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities small degree count | 6 | $93,180 | — |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 71 | $84,712 | #1 |
| History | 63 | $78,966 | #14 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 47 | $78,752 | #9 |
| Sociology | 25 | $75,267 | #9 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 34 | $74,477 | #24 |
| Psychology, General | 153 | $73,646 | #6 |
| Political Science and Government | 110 | $73,231 | #53 |
| Biology, General | 150 | $71,181 | #30 |
| Psychology, Other | 23 | $62,905 | #1 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 56 | $62,147 | #24 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies small degree count | 16 | $59,372 | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 103 | $54,279 | #35 |
| Music | 86 | $53,875 | #12 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 253 | $51,471 | #16 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 90 | $49,316 | #6 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 22 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Area Studies small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Materials Engineering small degree count | 19 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Civil Engineering small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer Engineering small degree count | 15 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies small degree count | 19 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biological and Physical Sciences small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Science, Technology and Society small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Philosophy | 20 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Chemistry small degree count | 19 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Physics small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 22 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Anthropology small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Dance small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Public Health | 53 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services small degree count | 17 | 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 Northwestern?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Economics**
335

**Radio, Television, and Digital Communication**
253

**Psychology, General**
153

**Biology, General**
150

**Political Science and Government**
110

**Neurobiology and Neurosciences**
103

**Computer Science**
102

**Communication and Media Studies**
90

**Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft**
90

**Music**
86

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

## How do Northwestern majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Information Science/Studies**#1**
2.  Industrial Engineering**#1**
3.  Psychology, Other**#1**
4.  Community Organization and Advocacy**#1**
5.  Communication and Media Studies**#2**
6.  Statistics**#6**
7.  Psychology, General**#6**
8.  Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft**#6**
9.  Public Policy Analysis**#9**
10.  Sociology**#9**
11.  Music**#12**
12.  History**#14**
13.  Chemical Engineering**#15**
14.  Radio, Television, and Digital Communication**#16**
15.  Mathematics**#17**
16.  Economics**#18**
17.  Biomedical/Medical Engineering**#21**
18.  English Language and Literature, General**#24**
19.  International Relations and National Security Studies**#24**
20.  Computer Science**#28**
21.  Biology, General**#30**
22.  Neurobiology and Neurosciences**#35**
23.  Mechanical Engineering**#46**

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 Northwestern University vary sharply 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, median debt, and cohort size rather than reputation. Of the 29 programs with published earnings data, Azimuth ranks 24 nationally.

The degree mix is led by Social Sciences, which accounts for 19.2% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Communication & Journalism at 12.8% and Engineering at 11.1%. The largest single program, Economics, awards 335 degrees a year and earns a national rank of #18 within its field, with median earnings of $126,006 four years after completion.

The highest-earning program is Information Science/Studies ($163,740 in four-year earnings, 78 degrees awarded annually). Information Science/Studies holds the strongest national rank at #1, with 78 degrees awarded and median earnings of $163,740.

Award counts reflect degrees conferred in one academic year, not distinct students, and program earnings cover federally aided completers. The university publishes earnings data for 29 programs, and the degree families span Social Sciences, Communication & Journalism, and Engineering.

## 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/).