OBSERVED EARNINGS · LIKE-FOR-LIKE CATEGORIESHighest-paying majors
National median earnings four years after completion, keeping field and credential level visible.
Arts, Media & Humanities9 ranked field-and-credential categories with at least 10 earnings observations
1Communication and Media StudiesAssociate's Degree · 64 programs$44,1432Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's Degree · 997 programs$42,7893Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationAssociate's Degree · 15 programs$37,1024Design and Applied ArtsAssociate's Degree · 116 programs$37,0655MusicAssociate's Degree · 13 programs$36,1536English Language and Literature, GeneralAssociate's Degree · 15 programs$34,8687Fine and Studio ArtsAssociate's Degree · 38 programs$34,7288Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralAssociate's Degree · 14 programs$32,3049Film/Video and Photographic ArtsAssociate's Degree · 15 programs$32,202Field families are reproducible groupings of federal two-digit CIP subject codes. Rankings require at least 10 programs with reported year-4 earnings; missing or suppressed values are not replaced with zero.