Which degrees will get you the most money at the University of Arizona?
Which degree should you seek at Arizona's public universities to get the best starting pay?
Preparing for the future
Updated
Students stroll across the mall with Old Main in the background at the University of Arizona, Thursday, April 6, 2017, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
It's no surprise an engineer makes more than a librarian, but there's a little more to choosing a career than that. Many would say it's worth the lower pay to love what you do.
However, just as mothers once said, "It's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor man," even if you're a librarian at heart, maybe you can learn to love engineering. Loving computer sciences, mathematics and statistics or business also would serve you well in Arizona.
Then, of course, you must decide which of Arizona's public universities would serve you the best in your career choice. An engineering degree at the University of Arizona will probably net you a higher starting salary than one at Northern Arizona University.
This information comes from the Arizona Board of Regents, who studied student debt at the time of graduation in comparison to the courses of study that garnered the best starting pay.
See how the careers and Arizona's public universities stack up.
University of Arizona
Updated
Old Main on the University of Arizona campus.
At the University of Arizona, the major with the best payout in 2017 was Computer and Information Sciences and Support, with median earnings in Arizona of $77,049 annually for recent graduates. These graduates also had the highest median debt for UA at $27,730 at the time of graduation.
Engineering majors earned the second best median pay at $76,576, and had less median debt at $18,583.
Median earnings and student loan debt by major at University of Arizona
Not every field of study is represented.
Source: Arizona Board of Regents
| Undergraduate major | No. of graduates with earnings in all 4 quarters in Arizona for 2017 | Median earnings in Arizona for 2017 | No. of graduates with student loan debt at time of graduation | Median debt | Estimated annual loan payment (subsidized) | Estimated annual loan payment (unsubsidized) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support | 37 | $77,049 | 24 | $27,730 | $2,847 | $2,932 |
| Engineering | 141 | $76,576 | 79 | $18,583 | $1,926 | $1,965 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 17 | $70,610 | 9 | $21,396 | $2,217 | $2,262 |
| Mathematics and Statistics | 28 | $66,868 | 19 | $12,899 | $1,337 | $1,364 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 351 | $63,925 | 176 | $19,745 | $1,982 | $2,022 |
| Physical Sciences | 33 | $63,636 | 19 | $17,414 | $1,805 | $1,841 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences | 158 | $59,667 | 95 | $19,405 | $2,011 | $2,052 |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions | 36 | $51,709 | 22 | $21,059 | $2,182 | $2,227 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences | 156 | $51,622 | 73 | $17,714 | $1,836 | $1,873 |
| Natural Resources and Conservation | 17 | $49,738 | 10 | $16,883 | $1,750 | $1,785 |
| Architecture and Related Services | 38 | $49,626 | 20 | $13,202 | $1,368 | $1,396 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 106 | $48,774 | 52 | $16,382 | $1,698 | $1,732 |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs | 63 | $48,176 | 31 | $18,411 | $1,908 | $1,947 |
| Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies | 25 | $46,624 | 17 | $26,507 | $2,747 | $2,803 |
| History | 62 | $45,004 | 34 | $19,127 | $1,982 | $2,022 |
| Social Sciences | 197 | $44,656 | 114 | $17,268 | $1,790 | $1,826 |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | 25 | $44,088 | 16 | $17,509 | $1,815 | $1,851 |
| Education | 144 | $44,035 | 95 | $20,371 | $2,111 | $2,154 |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 75 | $43,368 | 46 | $19,349 | $2,005 | $2,046 |
| Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences | 33 | $42,600 | 18 | $23,393 | $2,424 | $2,473 |
| Psychology | 192 | $41,470 | 103 | $20,373 | $2,111 | $2,154 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | 60 | $40,553 | 37 | $19,409 | $2,011 | $2,052 |
| Science Technologies/Technicians | 3 | $39,708 | 2 | $20,302 | $2,104 | $2,147 |
| English Language and Liturature/Letters | 75 | $39,138 | 31 | $17,566 | $1,820 | $1,857 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 83 | $35,156 | 46 | $13,911 | $1,442 | $1,471 |
| Total | 2060 | $49,879 | 1139 | $18,995 | $1,968 | $2,008 |
Arizona State University
Updated
At Arizona State University, the field of study that will earn graduates the most in Arizona is Engineering with a median pay at the time of graduation in 2017 of $79,080, a bit better than University of Arizona.
Engineering graduates' indebtedness is a bit higher at $19,835, but at that pay, it is less of an issue.
Computer sciences was the major with the next highest median salary at $75,609.
Median earnings and student loan debt by major at Arizona State University
Only majors with median earnings of $60,000 or more are listed.
Source: Arizona Board of Regents
| Undergraduate major | No. of graduates with earnings in all 4 quarters in Arizona for 2017 | Median earnings in Arizona for 2017 | No. of graduates with student loan debt at time of graduation | Median debt | Estimated annual loan payment (subsidized) | Estimated annual loan payment (unsubsidized) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 291 | $79,080 | 162 | $19,835 | $2,056 | $2,097 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 143 | $75,609 | 79 | $19,074 | $1,977 | $2,017 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 39 | $72,736 | 27 | $26,166 | $2,712 | $2,767 |
| Science Technologies/Technicians | 54 | $71,490 | 35 | $23,375 | $2,422 | $2,471 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences | 224 | $64,071 | 148 | $18,375 | $1,904 | $1,943 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 887 | $63,340 | 465 | $17,751 | $1,840 | $1,877 |
| Total | 5540 | $50,475 | 3452 | $18,763 | $1,944 | $1,984 |
Northern Arizona University
Updated
James Curtis shoveled out his snow-covered car Thursday on the campus of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Heavy storms continue to blanket the area and caused the closure of all of the schools in the Flagstaff area through the end of the week.
If you want the best median starting pay for engineering and Computer sciences, Northern Arizona University falls a bit short of the other two public universities in the state.
One should not turn the nose up at a median starting salary of $69,892 for Computer sciences, however.
Median earnings and student loan debt by major at Northern Arizona University
Only majors with median earnings of $60,000 or more are listed.
Source: Arizona Board of Regents
| Undergraduate major | No. of graduates with earnings in all 4 quarters in Arizona for 2017 | Median earnings in Arizona for 2017 | No. of graduates with student loan debt at time of graduation | Median debt | Estimated annual loan payment (subsidized) | Estimated annual loan payment (unsubsidized) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 11 | $69,892 | 6 | $27,866 | $2,888 | $2,946 |
| Engineering | 37 | $67,845 | 24 | $24,848 | $2,575 | $2,627 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences | 154 | $61,192 | 94 | $23,512 | $2,437 | $2,486 |
| Total | 1806 | $47,034 | 1221 | $21,892 | $2,269 | $2,315 |
Arizona's university system
UpdatedThe combined university system for Arizona has engineering coming out on top; however, computer science majors had more debt upon graduation.
Median earnings and student loan debt by major at all Arizona public universities
Only majors with median earnings of $60,000 or more are listed.
Source: Arizona Board of Regents
| Undergraduate major | No. of graduates with earnings in all 4 quarters in Arizona for 2017 | Median earnings in Arizona for 2017 | No. of graduates with student loan debt at time of graduation | Median debt | Estimated annual loan payment (subsidized) | Estimated annual loan payment (unsubsidized) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 169 | $74,500 | 265 | $21,089 | $2,185 | $2,230 |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 191 | $74,183 | 109 | $24,890 | $2,579 | $2,632 |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 56 | $71,673 | 36 | $23,781 | $2,464 | $2,514 |
| Science Technologies/Technicians | 159 | $61,753 | 109 | $21,358 | $2,213 | $2,258 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences | 536 | $61,643 | 337 | $20,430 | $2,117 | $2,160 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 1582 | $61,045 | 862 | $18,962 | $1,965 | $2,005 |
| Total | 9406 | $49,130 | 5812 | $19,883 | $2,061 | $2,102 |
