Programs & majors brief

Wayne State University Majors & Programs

Updated

Which majors earn the most at Wayne State University?

Wayne State University's highest-earning bachelor's programs cluster in engineering and computing. Biomedical Engineering leads at $106,048 four years after completion, though it awarded only 18 degrees.

Computer and Information Sciences follows at $104,630 with 164 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #46 in the field. Among the university's largest programs, earnings spread across a wide range.

International Business reaches $79,882 and ranks #11 nationally on 212 degrees awarded. By contrast, Psychology, the largest program with 331 degrees awarded, shows a median of $52,435 and an Azimuth national rank of #127. Public Health sits between them at $55,302 with 258 degrees awarded.

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.

  • Business1,042 · 25.3%
  • Health professions609 · 14.8%
  • Psychology331 · 8.0%
  • Engineering224 · 5.4%
  • Education214 · 5.2%
  • Other1,696 · 41.2%

67 of 67 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs
Biomedical/Medical Engineering 18 degrees awarded
$106,048
Computer and Information Sciences, General 164 degrees awarded
$104,630
Industrial Engineering 16 degrees awarded
$101,990
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 65 degrees awarded
$100,944
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians 17 degrees awarded
$97,257
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians 18 degrees awarded
$96,821

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
Biomedical/Medical Engineering small degree count18$106,048—
Computer and Information Sciences, General164$104,630#46
Industrial Engineering small degree count16$101,990—
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering65$100,944#85
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians small degree count17$97,257—
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians small degree count18$96,821—
Mechanical Engineering69$94,869#96
Chemical Engineering23$93,047#114
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other104$92,707#1
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician23$84,695—
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing178$84,405#209
Civil Engineering33$84,157#136
Management Information Systems and Services136$80,630#39
International Business212$79,882#11
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions25$78,391#36
Finance and Financial Management Services168$74,703#103
Accounting and Related Services131$73,940#135
Marketing209$67,504#86
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions small degree count8$67,284—
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities small degree count12$66,426—
Public Administration small degree count6$66,396—
Mathematics28$64,547#180
Economics26$63,972#183
Chemistry50$63,079#89
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science31$62,954#2
Political Science and Government96$61,466#148
Human Resources Management and Services186$61,121#39
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication39$59,025#58
Urban Studies/Affairs small degree count10$58,915—
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services64$58,871#9
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas86$58,743#30
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services27$58,291#91
Special Education and Teaching small degree count16$58,182—
Communication and Media Studies58$57,335#136
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count16$57,203—
Criminal Justice and Corrections111$56,423#97
Social Work96$56,152#49
Sociology45$55,499#118
Public Health258$55,302#56
Journalism29$54,188#75
Psychology, General331$52,435#127
Biology, General157$50,811#287
Music47$50,340#36
History28$50,251#191
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods107$48,506#156
Anthropology20$48,230#67
Apparel and Textiles69$46,737#29
English Language and Literature, General34$42,585#251
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication20$42,551#66
Fine and Studio Arts53$39,271#169
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services23$38,926#65
Film/Video and Photographic Arts28$35,157#73
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft34$32,525#127
Natural Resources Conservation and Research small degree count14Too few graduates to report—
Area Studies small degree count12Too few graduates to report—
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies small degree count7Too few graduates to report—
Educational/Instructional Media Design small degree count5Too few graduates to report—
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians small degree count13Too few graduates to report—
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other20Too few graduates to report—
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count5Too few graduates to report—
Neurobiology and Neurosciences44Too few graduates to report—
Applied Mathematics small degree count6Too few graduates to report—
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness69Too few graduates to report—
Philosophy20Too few graduates to report—
Physics small degree count6Too few graduates to report—
Dance28Too few graduates to report—
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services small degree count9Too few graduates to report—

Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings

What are the largest programs at Wayne State University?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded
Psychology, General
331
Public Health
258
International Business
212
Marketing
209
Human Resources Management and Services
186
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
178
Finance and Financial Management Services
168
Computer and Information Sciences, General
164
Biology, General
157
Management Information Systems and Services
136

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

How do Wayne State University majors rank nationally?

National program rankings

  1. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other#1
  2. Funeral Service and Mortuary Science#2
  3. Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services#9
  4. International Business#11
  5. Apparel and Textiles#29
  6. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas#30
  7. Music#36
  8. Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions#36
  9. Human Resources Management and Services#39
  10. Management Information Systems and Services#39
  11. Computer and Information Sciences, General#46
  12. Social Work#49

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

Wayne State University has 53 programs with published earnings data, 42 of which carry an Azimuth national rank. The degree mix is broad, with Business accounting for 25.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded, Health Professions at 14.8%, and Psychology at 8.0%.

Among the largest programs, International Business reports the strongest earnings at $79,882 four years after completion, with an Azimuth rank of #11 nationally and #1 in Michigan. Psychology, the largest single program at 331 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $52,435 and a national rank of #127.

The highest-ranked program overall is Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences at #1, with earnings of $92,707.

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.