Programs & majors brief
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Majors & Programs
Which majors earn the most at Michigan?
74 of 74 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 and Information Sciences, General | 1,070 | $172,904 | #5 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 598 | $144,654 | #2 |
| Computer Engineering | 116 | $142,071 | #15 |
| Information Science/Studies | 166 | $130,798 | #2 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other small degree count | 11 | $128,291 | — |
| Industrial Engineering | 170 | $117,930 | #3 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 119 | $117,610 | #14 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 164 | $115,075 | #3 |
| Economics | 618 | $110,552 | #32 |
| Statistics | 106 | $109,466 | #11 |
| Chemical Engineering | 73 | $109,405 | #16 |
| Mathematics | 212 | $109,146 | #15 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 275 | $105,888 | #15 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 103 | $102,342 | #17 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 50 | $99,594 | #2 |
| Materials Engineering | 42 | $98,879 | #5 |
| Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | 25 | $94,569 | — |
| Nuclear Engineering small degree count | 19 | $94,330 | — |
| Physics | 63 | $92,293 | #13 |
| Civil Engineering | 42 | $89,165 | #58 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 30 | $84,973 | #8 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 174 | $82,265 | #197 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 255 | $79,648 | #7 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 263 | $79,411 | #3 |
| Cognitive Science | 114 | $79,016 | #9 |
| Public Health | 101 | $78,928 | #9 |
| Political Science and Government | 239 | $77,480 | #38 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 81 | $73,749 | #10 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 152 | $72,545 | #4 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 34 | $68,898 | — |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences small degree count | 11 | $68,042 | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 272 | $67,925 | #24 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 53 | $67,859 | #18 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 714 | $67,537 | #8 |
| Philosophy | 37 | $67,293 | #15 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 153 | $66,846 | #2 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 123 | $65,714 | #19 |
| Chemistry | 25 | $65,591 | #88 |
| Architecture | 52 | $65,015 | #24 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 115 | $64,426 | #15 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 31 | $63,426 | #6 |
| Sociology | 132 | $63,419 | #23 |
| History | 121 | $62,077 | #33 |
| Biology, General | 267 | $61,127 | #111 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 64 | $60,949 | #29 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 38 | $59,402 | #36 |
| Area Studies | 37 | $58,232 | #20 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 32 | $57,890 | #34 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 98 | $57,809 | #45 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 86 | $57,059 | #7 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 226 | $55,436 | #29 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 33 | $55,137 | #23 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 70 | $54,558 | #48 |
| Anthropology | 49 | $53,042 | #23 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 43 | $52,390 | #15 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 61 | $45,888 | #17 |
| Music | 83 | $43,777 | #64 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 29 | $43,689 | #34 |
| Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 30 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Engineering Physics small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Data Science | 163 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Philosophy, Politics, and Economics | 43 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Classical and Ancient Studies small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Religion/Religious Studies small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Social Sciences, General small degree count | 11 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Dance | 21 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | 37 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings
What are the largest programs at Michigan?
Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions
The largest program records at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, by reported degrees awarded, are: Computer and Information Sciences, General (1,070 awards); Research and Experimental Psychology (714 awards); Economics (618 awards); Business Administration, Management and Operations (598 awards); Mechanical Engineering (275 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 Computer and Information Sciences, General at $172,904; Research and Experimental Psychology at $67,537; Economics at $110,552. Program size and earnings answer different questions; the largest program need not have the highest earnings.
How do Michigan majors rank nationally?
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor’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 Michigan-Ann Arbor 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 Michigan-Ann Arbor.
National program rankings
- Information Science/Studies#2
- Fine and Studio Arts#2
- Business Administration, Management and Operations#2
- Human Resources Management and Services#2
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering#3
- Industrial Engineering#3
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness#3
- International/Globalization Studies#4
- Computer and Information Sciences, General#5
- Materials Engineering#5
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies#6
- Communication and Media Studies#7
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts#7
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering#8
- Research and Experimental Psychology#8
- Cognitive Science#9
- Public Health#9
- Public Policy Analysis#10
- Statistics#11
- Physics#13
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering#14
- Computer Engineering#15
- Mechanical Engineering#15
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics#15
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology#15
- Mathematics#15
- Philosophy#15
- Chemical Engineering#16
- Biomedical/Medical Engineering#17
- Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft#17
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities#18
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research#19
- Area Studies#20
- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services#23
- Anthropology#23
- Sociology#23
- Architecture#24
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology#24
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences#29
- Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences#29
- Economics#32
- History#33
- Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies#34
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology#34
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions#36
- Political Science and Government#38
- English Language and Literature, General#45
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods#48
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 Michigan-Ann Arbor 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 Michigan-Ann Arbor programs; they are not necessarily ranked in the national top 50.
Further analysis
Outcomes at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor vary sharply by field, and Azimuth's program rankings evaluate four-year earnings among federally aided completers, median debt, and cohort size rather than reputation. The university has 53 ranked programs and earnings data for 58 fields.
The degree mix is anchored by Computer & Information Sciences, which accounts for 13.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Engineering at 13.3% and Social Sciences at 11.7%. 44.6% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields.
Computer and Information Sciences is the largest single program at 1,070 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks it #5 nationally with median earnings of $172,904. Business Administration and Management is the strongest return program, ranked #2 and earning $144,654 — 2.12x the national median for the field.
Research and Experimental Psychology, the second-largest program at 714 degrees awarded, earns $67,537 and ranks #8 nationally.
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.
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.