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Programs & majors brief

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# Portland State University Majors & Programs

Updated October 1, 2026

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

**On this page**+

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

Among Portland State University’s nationally ranked fields, the earnings picture is moderate overall, with a higher end that remains well below the university’s highest-earning offerings. Four years after completion, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services has median earnings of $70,765 from 44 degrees awarded; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #8 in its field nationally.

Community Organization and Advocacy records median earnings of $51,066 across 25 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth national field rank of #4. Biological and Physical Sciences posts $57,303 in median earnings and 124 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #9 in its field nationally.

These fields hold national Azimuth positions, but their four-year earnings differ by field.

### 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**960 · 20.6%**
-   Social sciences**539 · 11.6%**
-   Health professions**374 · 8.0%**
-   Psychology**365 · 7.8%**
-   Visual and performing arts**298 · 6.4%**
-   Other**2,114 · 45.5%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

60 of 60 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Computer Science 168 degrees awarded**
$113,889

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 58 degrees awarded**
$101,905

**Mechanical Engineering 113 degrees awarded**
$94,223

**Physics 15 degrees awarded**
$87,488

**Civil Engineering 71 degrees awarded**
$86,084

**Finance and Financial Management Services 119 degrees awarded**
$79,727

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 Science | 168 | $113,889 | #77 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 58 | $101,905 | #86 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 113 | $94,223 | #93 |
| Physics small degree count | 15 | $87,488 | — |
| Civil Engineering | 71 | $86,084 | #92 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 119 | $79,727 | #82 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 188 | $77,226 | #114 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 27 | $75,765 | #25 |
| Economics | 57 | $75,482 | #131 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 275 | $71,621 | #124 |
| Chemistry small degree count | 18 | $70,948 | — |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | 44 | $70,765 | #8 |
| Mathematics | 73 | $68,280 | #106 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 125 | $68,274 | #27 |
| Social Work | 103 | $63,456 | #9 |
| Architecture | 57 | $62,349 | #38 |
| Marketing | 209 | $61,499 | #123 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 190 | $59,961 | #31 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 51 | $59,563 | #74 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 84 | $59,232 | #98 |
| Political Science and Government | 79 | $59,185 | #175 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 48 | $58,961 | #69 |
| Public Health | 133 | $58,860 | #57 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 151 | $58,109 | #60 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 13 | $57,932 | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 130 | $57,438 | #34 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 124 | $57,303 | #9 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 20 | $56,436 | #61 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 107 | $56,158 | #52 |
| Biology, General | 175 | $54,934 | #239 |
| Geography and Cartography | 23 | $54,310 | #63 |
| History | 55 | $54,131 | #118 |
| Sociology | 53 | $53,753 | #116 |
| Social Sciences, General | 247 | $52,562 | #20 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 24 | $51,925 | #34 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other small degree count | 14 | $51,248 | — |
| Community Organization and Advocacy | 25 | $51,066 | #4 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 223 | $50,949 | #93 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 60 | $50,427 | #45 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 33 | $50,241 | #95 |
| Philosophy | 24 | $50,191 | #52 |
| Psychology, General | 365 | $49,063 | #183 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft small degree count | 14 | $45,692 | — |
| English Language and Literature, General | 79 | $43,342 | #219 |
| Anthropology | 34 | $41,759 | #97 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 68 | $41,639 | #54 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 70 | $40,731 | #139 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 19 | $39,563 | — |
| Music | 25 | $34,160 | #147 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 22 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians small degree count | 18 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Special Education and Teaching small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer Engineering | 26 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| International/Globalization Studies small degree count | 15 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 26 | 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 Portland State University?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Psychology, General**
365

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
275

**Social Sciences, General**
247

**Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**
223

**Marketing**
209

**Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General**
190

**Accounting and Related Services**
188

**Biology, General**
175

**Computer Science**
168

**Criminal Justice and Corrections**
151

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

## How do Portland State University majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Community Organization and Advocacy**#4**
2.  Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other**#8**
3.  Biological and Physical Sciences**#9**
4.  Social Work**#9**
5.  Social Sciences, General**#20**
6.  Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology**#25**
7.  Human Resources Management and Services**#27**
8.  Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General**#31**
9.  Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services**#34**
10.  Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other**#34**
11.  Architecture**#38**
12.  Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services**#45**

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

At Portland State University, 49 programs have published earnings data, and 43 carry an Azimuth national rank. The degree mix is broad, with Business accounting for 20.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Social Sciences at 11.6% and Health Professions at 8.0%.

The largest program is Psychology, at 365 degrees awarded and median earnings of $49,063 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #183 nationally and #3 in Oregon.

The best nationally ranked program is Community Organization and Advocacy, where completers earn a median of $51,066 four years after completion. Azimuth places it #4 within its field and #1 in Oregon.

The highest-earning program is Computer Science, with a median of $113,889 four years after completion.

## 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/).