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Programs & majors brief

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# University of California-Los Angeles Majors & Programs

Updated September 30, 2026

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

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## Which majors earn the most at UCLA?

Among University of California-Los Angeles programs with a reported four-year earnings value, the highest medians are: Computer Engineering ($228,705); Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering ($126,209); Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($118,566); Biomedical/Medical Engineering ($116,525); Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering ($115,706). These are earnings after completion for the covered cohort.

A program median describes the middle reported outcome in that group. It is not a starting-salary offer or a prediction for every graduate, and an earnings comparison does not by itself explain why fields differ.

Compare these results with the subjects you want to study and the program’s reported award count. Awards measure degree output, not the number of people in the earnings sample.

University of California-Los Angeles awards bachelor's degrees across 46 fields with published four-year earnings, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 45 of them nationally. The highest-earning program, Computer Engineering, shows a median of $228,705 four years after completion, though it awarded only 96 degrees.

Electrical Engineering follows at $126,209 with 142 degrees awarded. Economics reports a median of $95,440 and an Azimuth national rank of #46 on 861 degrees awarded.

Sociology reaches $64,692 and ranks #10 nationally. Psychology and Biology sit in a moderate band, with medians of $61,050 and $61,804 respectively, alongside national ranks of #27 and #85.

### 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**2,523 · 25.6%**
-   Biological sciences**1,525 · 15.5%**
-   Psychology**1,031 · 10.5%**
-   Mathematics**768 · 7.8%**
-   Engineering**729 · 7.4%**
-   Other**3,287 · 33.3%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

63 of 63 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Computer Engineering 96 degrees awarded**
$228,705

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 142 degrees awarded**
$126,209

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 54 degrees awarded**
$118,566

**Biomedical/Medical Engineering 64 degrees awarded**
$116,525

**Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering 63 degrees awarded**
$115,706

**Statistics 228 degrees awarded**
$109,017

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 Engineering | 96 | $228,705 | #1 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 142 | $126,209 | #9 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 54 | $118,566 | #37 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 64 | $116,525 | #5 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 63 | $115,706 | #5 |
| Statistics | 228 | $109,017 | #7 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 162 | $108,875 | #12 |
| Chemical Engineering | 79 | $108,066 | #17 |
| Applied Mathematics | 347 | $103,887 | #9 |
| Cognitive Science | 223 | $102,066 | #5 |
| Mathematics | 193 | $99,269 | #23 |
| Civil Engineering | 87 | $97,092 | #16 |
| Economics | 861 | $95,440 | #46 |
| Physics | 79 | $85,708 | #18 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 41 | $82,501 | #3 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 30 | $79,143 | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 107 | $75,927 | #5 |
| Political Science and Government | 675 | $74,202 | #36 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 222 | $73,506 | #11 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 235 | $72,443 | #4 |
| Chemistry | 58 | $72,220 | #30 |
| Geography and Cartography | 83 | $67,193 | #10 |
| Human Biology | 180 | $66,496 | #4 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 38 | $66,259 | #30 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 152 | $65,024 | #12 |
| Sociology | 696 | $64,692 | #10 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 128 | $62,927 | #6 |
| Biology, General | 413 | $61,804 | #85 |
| Philosophy | 123 | $61,754 | #13 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 383 | $61,134 | #20 |
| Psychology, General | 648 | $61,050 | #27 |
| History | 249 | $59,555 | #30 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 206 | $57,139 | #20 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 65 | $55,946 | #50 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 35 | $55,898 | #5 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 192 | $55,404 | #31 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 275 | $55,346 | #39 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 250 | $55,088 | #10 |
| Anthropology | 208 | $54,905 | #10 |
| Area Studies | 50 | $51,755 | #25 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 39 | $51,559 | #20 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 27 | $50,904 | #23 |
| Music | 75 | $47,779 | #42 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 129 | $46,173 | #46 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 71 | $39,023 | #68 |
| Dance | 31 | $36,277 | #27 |
| Architecture | 34 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 241 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer Science | 349 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 41 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Materials Engineering | 36 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Literature | 28 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 66 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | 33 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Classical and Ancient Studies small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 41 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Materials Sciences small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 106 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 38 | 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 UCLA?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Economics**
861

**Sociology**
696

**Political Science and Government**
675

**Psychology, General**
648

**Biology, General**
413

**Research and Experimental Psychology**
383

**Computer Science**
349

**Applied Mathematics**
347

**English Language and Literature, General**
275

**Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies**
250

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

The largest program records at University of California-Los Angeles, by reported degrees awarded, are: Economics (861 awards); Sociology (696 awards); Political Science and Government (675 awards); Psychology, General (648 awards); Biology, General (413 awards). These counts describe degree output in the source reporting period, not current enrollment or unique people.

Among those larger programs, reported median earnings four years after completion include Economics at $95,440; Sociology at $64,692; Political Science and Government at $74,202. Program size and earnings answer different questions; the largest program need not have the highest earnings.

## How do UCLA majors rank nationally?

University of California-Los Angeles’s national program ranks compare each field with the same field at other institutions in Azimuth’s ranking data. For example, a Computer Science rank compares programs in Computer Science, while a Biology rank compares programs in Biology.

A lower rank number indicates a higher position within that field; comparing the numbers across different fields does not tell you which major will pay more or suit you better.

These are Azimuth program-value rankings. The source orders programs by its composite program-value measure, so this view answers a different question from the highest-earning majors section.

A field can report lower earnings than another University of California-Los Angeles field while holding a stronger position against its own national competitors. Read its national position alongside the earnings and degree counts to understand both the comparison with other schools and the scale of the program at University of California-Los Angeles.

### National program rankings

1.  Computer Engineering**#1**
2.  International/Globalization Studies**#3**
3.  Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences**#4**
4.  Human Biology**#4**
5.  Natural Resources Conservation and Research**#5**
6.  Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering**#5**
7.  Biomedical/Medical Engineering**#5**
8.  East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics**#5**
9.  Cognitive Science**#5**
10.  Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services**#6**
11.  Statistics**#7**
12.  Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering**#9**
13.  Applied Mathematics**#9**
14.  Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies**#10**
15.  Anthropology**#10**
16.  Geography and Cartography**#10**
17.  Sociology**#10**
18.  Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology**#11**
19.  Mechanical Engineering**#12**
20.  Microbiological Sciences and Immunology**#12**
21.  Philosophy**#13**
22.  Civil Engineering**#16**
23.  Chemical Engineering**#17**
24.  Physics**#18**
25.  Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences**#20**
26.  Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology**#20**
27.  Research and Experimental Psychology**#20**
28.  Mathematics**#23**
29.  Film/Video and Photographic Arts**#23**
30.  Area Studies**#25**
31.  Psychology, General**#27**
32.  Dance**#27**
33.  Chemistry**#30**
34.  Design and Applied Arts**#30**
35.  History**#30**
36.  Neurobiology and Neurosciences**#31**
37.  Political Science and Government**#36**
38.  Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**#37**
39.  English Language and Literature, General**#39**
40.  Music**#42**
41.  Economics**#46**
42.  Fine and Studio Arts**#46**
43.  Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics**#50**

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.

The list includes University of California-Los Angeles programs ranked in the national top 50 for their field. If fewer than ten qualify, it adds the largest remaining programs with a reported national rank, using degrees awarded to select them, until the list reaches ten or no ranked programs remain.

These additions broaden the comparison to larger University of California-Los Angeles programs; they are not necessarily ranked in the national top 50.

[How Azimuth compares programs across colleges](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## Further analysis

Azimuth evaluates programs on the earnings of their federally aided completers, their debt, and their size — not on reputation. At University of California-Los Angeles, 45 programs carry a national rank, drawn from 46 fields with published four-year earnings data.

The figures that follow are for one academic year's degrees awarded, not a count of students. The degree mix is led by Social Sciences, which accounts for 25.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, ahead of Biological Sciences at 15.5% and Psychology at 10.4%.

The largest single program, Economics, awarded 861 degrees and its graduates earn a median of $95,440 four years after completion, placing it #46 nationally in its field. The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Computer Engineering graduates earn $228,705 from 96 degrees a year.

Among the best-ranked programs, Computer Engineering sits at #1 nationally and #1 in California, with 96 degrees awarded and median earnings of $228,705.

## 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/).

Four-year earnings are measured after completion for the covered federally aided cohort of people working and not enrolled. Measures taken six, eight or ten years after entry use a different starting point and should not be treated as one graduating class followed over time.

Program award counts describe credentials awarded, not current enrollment, unique graduates or earnings-sample size. Reporting periods differ across measures; the shared field definitions do not establish the exact vintage of every school-level value.