Programs & majors brief

University of Missouri-Columbia Majors & Programs

Updated

Which majors earn the most at University of Missouri-Columbia?

The University of Missouri-Columbia awards bachelor's degrees across 53 fields with published four-year earnings, and Azimuth ranks 46 of them nationally. The largest program, Business/Commerce, awarded 627 degrees and its completers earn a median of $84,534 four years after completion.

That ranks #8 nationally and #1 in Missouri. Health Sciences follows with 439 degrees awarded and median earnings of $69,333, ranking #11 nationally.

Journalism, at 390 degrees awarded, shows median earnings of $69,016 and an Azimuth national rank of #5. By contrast, Psychology awarded 278 degrees and reports a more moderate median of $55,839, ranking #86 nationally.

The earnings spread between these fields shows how much the return picture can vary by program at this public university.

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.

  • Business911 · 17.9%
  • Health professions906 · 17.8%
  • Communication574 · 11.3%
  • Engineering366 · 7.2%
  • Social sciences308 · 6.1%
  • Other2,017 · 39.7%

67 of 67 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs
Computer Engineering 17 degrees awarded
$112,696
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 38 degrees awarded
$105,034
Industrial Engineering 28 degrees awarded
$101,380
Computer and Information Sciences, General 172 degrees awarded
$100,234
Chemical Engineering 39 degrees awarded
$95,989
Accounting and Related Services 141 degrees awarded
$95,415

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
ProgramDegrees awarded4-yr earningsField rank
Computer Engineering small degree count17$112,696—
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering38$105,034#72
Industrial Engineering28$101,380#33
Computer and Information Sciences, General172$100,234#63
Chemical Engineering39$95,989#93
Accounting and Related Services141$95,415#40
Mechanical Engineering127$94,629#84
Biological/Biosystems Engineering small degree count14$86,844—
Business/Commerce, General627$84,534#8
Civil Engineering65$83,684#109
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing253$83,231#194
Agricultural Business and Management44$82,831#5
Mathematics43$81,518#63
Statistics23$76,037#35
Agricultural Mechanization small degree count13$75,958—
Area Studies47$75,230#4
Economics96$74,661#120
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions77$73,861#35
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General439$69,333#11
Journalism390$69,016#5
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities85$65,029#24
Political Science and Government122$64,747#107
Plant Sciences33$62,957#10
Chemistry23$61,884#108
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services49$61,713#61
Housing and Human Environments47$61,683#3
Hospitality Administration/Management48$61,441#30
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services34$61,080#13
Communication and Media Studies184$61,007#69
Biology, General210$60,424#136
History30$56,632#103
Geography and Cartography small degree count14$56,191—
Social Work small degree count17$56,157—
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology57$56,003#78
Psychology, General278$55,839#86
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology29$55,790#6
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies83$55,280#11
Sociology39$55,098#117
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other53$54,133#74
Special Education and Teaching20$51,901#46
Fine and Studio Arts30$51,254#31
Visual and Performing Arts, General46$50,205#5
Agriculture, General29$49,480—
Anthropology29$49,351#47
Film/Video and Photographic Arts32$49,192#30
Natural Resources Conservation and Research39$49,013#123
Animal Sciences81$47,983#40
English Language and Literature, General52$47,487#189
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count8$46,920—
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services32$46,853#67
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas21$45,263#135
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods180$44,681#172
Music24$39,241#130
Food Science and Technology small degree count5Too few graduates to report—
Education, General23Too few graduates to report—
Biomedical/Medical Engineering38Too few graduates to report—
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count6Too few graduates to report—
Philosophy small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Religion/Religious Studies small degree count8Too few graduates to report—
Physics22Too few graduates to report—
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Archeology small degree count8Too few graduates to report—
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft small degree count14Too few graduates to report—
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services61Too few graduates to report—
Public Health27Too few graduates to report—
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations63Too few graduates to report—
Finance and Financial Management Services32Too few graduates to report—

Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings

What are the largest programs at University of Missouri-Columbia?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded
Business/Commerce, General
627
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
439
Journalism
390
Psychology, General
278
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
253
Biology, General
210
Communication and Media Studies
184
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
180
Computer and Information Sciences, General
172
Accounting and Related Services
141

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions

How do University of Missouri-Columbia majors rank nationally?

National program rankings

  1. Housing and Human Environments#3
  2. Area Studies#4
  3. Agricultural Business and Management#5
  4. Journalism#5
  5. Visual and Performing Arts, General#5
  6. Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology#6
  7. Business/Commerce, General#8
  8. Plant Sciences#10
  9. Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies#11
  10. Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General#11
  11. Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services#13
  12. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities#24
  13. Film/Video and Photographic Arts#30
  14. Hospitality Administration/Management#30
  15. Fine and Studio Arts#31
  16. Industrial Engineering#33
  17. Statistics#35
  18. Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions#35
  19. Animal Sciences#40
  20. Accounting and Related Services#40
  21. Special Education and Teaching#46
  22. Anthropology#47

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

Further analysis

Outcomes at University of Missouri-Columbia 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 46 ranked programs, with earnings data published for 53 fields.

The degree mix is led by Business, which accounts for 17.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded, closely followed by Health Professions at 17.8% and Communication & Journalism at 11.3%. Award counts reflect degrees conferred in one academic year, not the number of students enrolled.

Among the largest programs, Business/Commerce awards 627 degrees a year and Azimuth ranks it #8 nationally, with completers earning a median of $84,534 four years after completion. Housing and Human Environments is ranked #3 nationally, with earnings of $61,683.

The top earner is Computer Engineering at $112,696 from a much smaller cohort of 17 degrees awarded.

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.