Programs & majors brief
University of Iowa Majors & Programs
Which majors earn the most at University of Iowa?
65 of 65 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statistics | 29 | $123,676 | #9 |
| Chemical Engineering | 40 | $97,329 | #86 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 35 | $97,208 | #154 |
| Industrial Engineering | 29 | $95,347 | #45 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 103 | $92,767 | #54 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 201 | $91,720 | #29 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 89 | $89,078 | #171 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 37 | $88,264 | #138 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 379 | $88,229 | #53 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 92 | $86,894 | #80 |
| Civil Engineering | 41 | $83,350 | #138 |
| Mathematics | 65 | $82,411 | #59 |
| Marketing | 234 | $81,994 | #39 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 240 | $78,836 | #234 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 142 | $77,659 | #14 |
| Economics | 109 | $76,746 | #117 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 45 | $68,601 | #52 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 109 | $67,760 | #15 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 245 | $67,605 | #169 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 75 | $66,377 | #29 |
| Political Science and Government | 117 | $65,923 | #99 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 31 | $65,072 | #59 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 511 | $61,732 | #30 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 183 | $61,200 | #32 |
| Criminology | 86 | $60,947 | #10 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 182 | $60,737 | #74 |
| Biology, General | 103 | $60,450 | #163 |
| Chemistry | 34 | $60,227 | #123 |
| Dance small degree count | 16 | $60,188 | — |
| Geography and Cartography small degree count | 10 | $59,578 | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 70 | $59,071 | #55 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | 55 | $57,098 | #12 |
| Journalism | 98 | $56,933 | #40 |
| Philosophy | 25 | $56,786 | #39 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 51 | $54,530 | #66 |
| Sociology | 42 | $54,464 | #128 |
| Social Work | 51 | $52,451 | #112 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 44 | $51,679 | #129 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 113 | $51,338 | #96 |
| Music | 49 | $50,180 | #40 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 52 | $47,892 | #32 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 23 | $47,421 | #43 |
| History | 65 | $46,819 | #189 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies small degree count | 11 | $46,063 | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 106 | $43,192 | #89 |
| Area Studies small degree count | 11 | $43,083 | — |
| Anthropology | 23 | $42,549 | #109 |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | 134 | $40,434 | #3 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 41 | $30,231 | #135 |
| Computer Science | 96 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 81 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer Engineering | 68 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 47 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 29 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | 315 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General small degree count | 15 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Data Science small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Classical and Ancient Studies small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 15 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Physics small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 30 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Public Health | 89 | Too few graduates to report | — |
Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings
What are the largest programs at University of Iowa?
Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions
How do University of Iowa majors rank nationally?
National program rankings
- English Language and Literature/Letters, Other#3
- Statistics#9
- Criminology#10
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies#12
- Human Resources Management and Services#14
- Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other#15
- Communication Disorders Sciences and Services#29
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods#29
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness#30
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities#32
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts#32
- Philosophy#39
- Marketing#39
- Journalism#40
- Music#40
- International/Globalization Studies#43
- Industrial Engineering#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.
Further analysis
Outcomes at University of Iowa depend heavily on the field a student chooses, and Azimuth's program rankings evaluate four-year earnings among completers, debt, and cohort size rather than reputation. The university has 45 ranked programs, with earnings data published for 49 fields.
The degree mix is led by Business, which accounts for 23.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Parks, Recreation & Fitness at 10.3% and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at 8.6%. The largest single program is Kinesiology and Physical Education, with 511 degrees awarded and a median of $61,732 four years after completion.
Azimuth ranks it #30 nationally and #1 in Iowa. The best-paid program is a much smaller one: Statistics completers earn a median of $123,676 four years after completion, from 29 degrees a year.
English Language and Literature/Letters carries the strongest national rank at #3, though its median earnings sit at $40,434, a reminder that Azimuth's ranking weights debt and cohort size alongside pay.
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.