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Programs & majors brief

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# University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Majors & Programs

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/similar/)

**On this page**+

## Which majors earn the most at UNC?

The university's highest-earning bachelor's programs reach well into six figures four years after completion. Computer Science tops the list at $137,047 with 432 degrees awarded, and Business Administration and Management follows at $135,874 on 332 degrees awarded, holding an Azimuth national rank of #5 in its field.

Large programs in the social sciences and life sciences land in a more moderate band. Communication and Media Studies, the biggest program by degrees awarded at 560, reports median earnings of $70,240 and a national field rank of #16.

Biology awards 558 degrees and shows median earnings of $62,047, while Economics reaches $103,846 alongside 449 degrees awarded and a national rank of #38.

### 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**988 · 15.3%**
-   Biological sciences**739 · 11.5%**
-   Interdisciplinary studies**592 · 9.2%**
-   Communication**560 · 8.7%**
-   Computer science**500 · 7.8%**
-   Other**3,071 · 47.6%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

46 of 46 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Computer Science 432 degrees awarded**
$137,047

**Business Administration, Management and Operations 332 degrees awarded**
$135,874

**Applied Mathematics 211 degrees awarded**
$119,839

**Health and Medical Administrative Services 47 degrees awarded**
$110,204

**Economics 449 degrees awarded**
$103,846

**Physics 48 degrees awarded**
$103,477

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 Science | 432 | $137,047 | #32 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 332 | $135,874 | #5 |
| Applied Mathematics | 211 | $119,839 | #5 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 47 | $110,204 | — |
| Economics | 449 | $103,846 | #38 |
| Physics | 48 | $103,477 | #4 |
| Mathematics | 137 | $101,599 | #22 |
| Information Science/Studies | 68 | $100,940 | #10 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 127 | $97,992 | #22 |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | 102 | $80,344 | #1 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 201 | $78,585 | #251 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 81 | $76,811 | #15 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 166 | $74,403 | #8 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions small degree count | 10 | $72,892 | — |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 26 | $72,567 | #9 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 45 | $72,422 | #13 |
| Political Science and Government | 326 | $72,001 | #47 |
| Philosophy | 56 | $70,709 | #8 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 560 | $70,240 | #16 |
| Area Studies | 182 | $65,933 | #6 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 124 | $65,337 | #16 |
| Chemistry | 139 | $64,981 | #50 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 56 | $64,570 | #23 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 346 | $63,286 | #27 |
| Biology, General | 558 | $62,047 | #62 |
| Music | 40 | $58,127 | #11 |
| History | 143 | $57,952 | #39 |
| Anthropology | 82 | $56,589 | #14 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 38 | $54,691 | #24 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 42 | $54,181 | #24 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 20 | $52,716 | #2 |
| Sociology | 106 | $51,801 | #106 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 164 | $51,208 | #84 |
| Geography and Cartography small degree count | 17 | $49,476 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 134 | $49,209 | #88 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 32 | $41,722 | #127 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 22 | $41,362 | #65 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 15 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | 38 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 152 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 29 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | 490 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Archeology small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Public Health small degree count | 19 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions small degree count | 16 | 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 UNC?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Communication and Media Studies**
560

**Biology, General**
558

**Behavioral Sciences**
490

**Economics**
449

**Computer Science**
432

**Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**
346

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
332

**Political Science and Government**
326

**Applied Mathematics**
211

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**
201

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

## How do UNC majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution**#1**
2.  Religion/Religious Studies**#2**
3.  Physics**#4**
4.  Applied Mathematics**#5**
5.  Business Administration, Management and Operations**#5**
6.  Area Studies**#6**
7.  Philosophy**#8**
8.  Public Policy Analysis**#8**
9.  Dental Support Services and Allied Professions**#9**
10.  Information Science/Studies**#10**
11.  Music**#11**
12.  Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**#13**
13.  Anthropology**#14**
14.  Human Resources Management and Services**#15**
15.  Natural Resources Conservation and Research**#16**
16.  Communication and Media Studies**#16**
17.  Biomedical/Medical Engineering**#22**
18.  Mathematics**#22**
19.  Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics**#23**
20.  Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies**#24**
21.  Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services**#24**
22.  Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**#27**
23.  Computer Science**#32**
24.  Economics**#38**
25.  History**#39**
26.  Political Science and Government**#47**
27.  Chemistry**#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.

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

## Further analysis

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, what a graduate earns four years after completing a degree depends heavily on the program they choose. The university has 37 programs with published earnings data, and 34 of those carry an Azimuth national rank.

The degree mix is anchored in the social and biological sciences. Social Sciences accounts for 15.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Biological Sciences at 11.5% and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at 9.2%.

Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution ranks #1 nationally, with completers earning $80,344 four years after completion. Communication and Media Studies, the largest program at 560 degrees awarded, ranks #16 and shows median earnings of $70,240.

Computer Science ranks #32 nationally, with completers earning $137,047 four years after completion.

## 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/).