Programs & majors brief
University of Illinois Chicago Majors & Programs
Which majors earn the most at UIC?
58 of 58 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 | 328 | $120,470 | #55 |
| Computer Engineering | 72 | $102,691 | #71 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 97 | $92,002 | #136 |
| Chemical Engineering | 65 | $87,407 | #117 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 84 | $87,393 | #71 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 168 | $87,384 | #158 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 296 | $87,037 | #131 |
| Industrial Engineering | 31 | $86,202 | #66 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 153 | $86,088 | #65 |
| Civil Engineering | 108 | $83,680 | #103 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 274 | $83,218 | #59 |
| Information Science/Studies | 146 | $81,180 | #23 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 62 | $77,321 | #4 |
| Marketing | 163 | $71,293 | #75 |
| Statistics | 24 | $68,585 | #40 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 67 | $68,109 | #221 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 105 | $67,555 | #51 |
| Mathematics | 27 | $67,016 | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 47 | $66,694 | #27 |
| Chemistry | 24 | $64,442 | #93 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 49 | $64,100 | #6 |
| Economics | 108 | $63,429 | #163 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 76 | $63,233 | #12 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 19 | $61,206 | — |
| Political Science and Government | 99 | $60,020 | #153 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 223 | $59,295 | #30 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 79 | $59,188 | #45 |
| Biology, General | 426 | $59,119 | #104 |
| Public Health | 45 | $58,603 | #65 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 66 | $58,268 | #66 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 19 | $57,594 | — |
| Architecture | 56 | $56,975 | #46 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 103 | $56,869 | #32 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 128 | $56,845 | #108 |
| History | 24 | $55,326 | #119 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 122 | $55,247 | #90 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 71 | $54,584 | #13 |
| Sociology | 77 | $53,962 | #96 |
| Psychology, General | 399 | $52,736 | #102 |
| Anthropology | 29 | $51,907 | #39 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 164 | $50,429 | #51 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | 53 | $50,123 | #42 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 50 | $49,393 | — |
| English Language and Literature, General | 73 | $48,442 | #145 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 47 | $45,253 | #56 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 34 | $41,924 | #141 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 34 | $36,792 | #96 |
| Area Studies small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 21 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Philosophy small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Physics small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 66 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 35 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Music small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 25 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings
What are UIC’s largest fields of study?
What are the largest programs at UIC?
Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions
The largest program records at University of Illinois Chicago, by reported degrees awarded, are: Biology, General (426 awards); Psychology, General (399 awards); Computer Science (328 awards); Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (296 awards); Finance and Financial Management Services (274 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 Biology, General at $59,119; Psychology, General at $52,736; Computer Science at $120,470. Program size and earnings answer different questions; the largest program need not have the highest earnings.
How do UIC majors rank nationally?
University of Illinois Chicago’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 Illinois Chicago 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 Illinois Chicago.
National program rankings
- Mathematics and Computer Science#4
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods#6
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas#12
- Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions#13
- Information Science/Studies#23
- Health and Medical Administrative Services#27
- Criminal Justice and Corrections#30
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences#32
- Anthropology#39
- Statistics#40
- Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services#42
- Design and Applied Arts#45
- Architecture#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.
The list includes University of Illinois Chicago 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 Illinois Chicago programs; they are not necessarily ranked in the national top 50.
Data & methodology
This brief combines U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data with UIC’s 2025–26 Common Data Set, checked September 10, 2026. The CDS is an official, institution-reported source, but it can contain errors. We retain reported values and flag identified inconsistencies rather than silently correcting them. Explore the complete UIC CDS guide.
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.
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.
[1] What are UIC’s largest fields of study? July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025. Selected largest categories in the CDS bachelor’s degree distribution; based on majors rather than unique student headcounts. These broad categories describe degree distribution, not program earnings or current enrollment. Students with multiple majors may be represented more than once. UIC does not specify whether it used first majors only or first and second majors. Selected categories do not sum to 100%.