Best Bachelor's Degree Programs at Ohio State University-Main Campus by ROI

Every Bachelor's Degree major at Ohio State University-Main Campus ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Associate Degree Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree Doctoral Degree

Programs Analyzed

98

Majors with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$10,916

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$29,320

Cost of attendance

# Major 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 Industrial Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$740,548 $86,368 $29,320 $21,875 Full ROI →
2 Computer Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$660,206 $82,241 $29,320 $20,247 Full ROI →
3 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$650,405 $81,897 $29,320 $22,411 Full ROI →
4 Mechanical Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$630,945 $80,795 $29,320 $20,500 Full ROI →
5 Computer and Information Sciences, General.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$616,710 $80,252 $29,320 $23,000 Full ROI →
6 Engineering, Other.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$602,940 $79,496 $29,320 $22,000 Full ROI →
7 Chemical Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$584,225 $78,459 $29,320 $20,500 Full ROI →
8 Materials Engineering

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$523,815 $75,371 $29,320 $19,500 Full ROI →
9 Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences, Other.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$459,547 $72,647 $29,320 $26,750 Full ROI →
10 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$454,878 $72,353 $29,320 $25,853 Full ROI →
11 Finance and Financial Management Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$416,885 $70,092 $29,320 $20,500 Full ROI →
12 Management Information Systems and Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$362,015 $67,416 $29,320 $21,500 Full ROI →
13 Accounting and Related Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$336,246 $66,248 $29,320 $23,284 Full ROI →
14 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$335,725 $66,034 $29,320 $20,500 Full ROI →
15 Agricultural Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$317,382 $65,412 $29,320 $24,872 Full ROI →
16 Civil Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$308,634 $64,885 $29,320 $23,545 Full ROI →
17 Business Administration, Management and Operations.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$307,732 $64,820 $29,320 $23,250 Full ROI →
18 Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$300,732 $64,578 $29,320 $24,850 Full ROI →
19 Business/Managerial Economics.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$298,955 $64,128 $29,320 $19,500 Full ROI →
20 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$239,709 $61,548 $29,320 $25,163 Full ROI →
21 International Business.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$223,550 $60,864 $29,320 $27,000 Full ROI →
22 Marketing.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$206,562 $59,623 $29,320 $21,198 Full ROI →
23 Air Transportation.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$191,503 $59,116 $29,320 $24,842 Full ROI →
24 Real Estate.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$180,070 $58,150 $29,320 $19,000 Full ROI →
25 Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$178,760 $56,802 $29,320 $0 Full ROI →
26 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$169,538 $57,973 $29,320 $24,179 Full ROI →
27 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$165,415 $57,856 $29,320 $25,500 Full ROI →
28 Health and Medical Administrative Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$157,470 $57,425 $29,320 $25,000 Full ROI →
29 Physics.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$155,928 $57,237 $29,320 $23,357 Full ROI →
30 Human Resources Management and Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$112,075 $54,784 $29,320 $19,500 Full ROI →
31 Philosophy.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$106,366 $54,954 $29,320 $26,247 Full ROI →
32 Food Science and Technology.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$103,159 $54,408 $29,320 $20,534 Full ROI →
33 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$57,705 $52,268 $29,320 $22,500 Full ROI →
34 Mathematics.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$53,505 $51,923 $29,320 $20,500 Full ROI →
35 Landscape Architecture.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$36,832 $51,275 $29,320 $23,250 Full ROI →
36 Economics.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$35,481 $51,199 $29,320 $23,125 Full ROI →
37 Agricultural Business and Management.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$34,100 $50,919 $29,320 $20,000 Full ROI →
38 Biomedical/Medical Engineering.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$24,241 $50,637 $29,320 $23,125 Full ROI →
39 Agricultural and Food Products Processing.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$12,240 $48,476 $29,320 $0 Full ROI →
40 Design and Applied Arts.

Grad rate: 87.9%

+$7,195 $49,918 $29,320 $25,100 Full ROI →
41 Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$12,430 $48,930 $29,320 $25,000 Full ROI →
42 Public Health.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$14,955 $48,365 $29,320 $18,500 Full ROI →
43 Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$16,537 $48,539 $29,320 $22,250 Full ROI →
44 Public Administration.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$20,087 $48,337 $29,320 $21,887 Full ROI →
45 Architecture.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$25,650 $48,404 $29,320 $27,000 Full ROI →
46 Apparel and Textiles.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$26,442 $48,048 $29,320 $22,313 Full ROI →
47 Communication and Media Studies.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$31,405 $47,880 $29,320 $23,500 Full ROI →
48 Business/Commerce, General.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$45,145 $46,950 $29,320 $19,900 Full ROI →
49 Microbiological Sciences and Immunology.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$59,295 $46,283 $29,320 $20,500 Full ROI →
50 Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate).

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$69,226 $45,951 $29,320 $22,938 Full ROI →
51 Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$69,915 $45,617 $29,320 $18,500 Full ROI →
52 Political Science and Government.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$79,985 $45,316 $29,320 $21,500 Full ROI →
53 Journalism.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$82,157 $45,332 $29,320 $23,346 Full ROI →
54 Natural Resources Conservation and Research.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$85,481 $45,037 $29,320 $21,438 Full ROI →
55 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$93,835 $44,556 $29,320 $20,500 Full ROI →
56 City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$95,427 $44,797 $29,320 $25,250 Full ROI →
57 Plant Sciences.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$101,641 $43,869 $29,320 $16,105 Full ROI →
58 Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$103,962 $44,465 $29,320 $26,654 Full ROI →
59 Chemistry.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$111,113 $44,011 $29,320 $25,225 Full ROI →
60 Hospitality Administration/Management.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$128,580 $43,190 $29,320 $26,000 Full ROI →
61 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$128,585 $42,751 $29,320 $19,500 Full ROI →
62 Health/Medical Preparatory Programs.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$131,170 $42,813 $29,320 $22,334 Full ROI →
63 Genetics.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$131,701 $42,711 $29,320 $21,216 Full ROI →
64 Criminology.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$133,794 $42,654 $29,320 $21,922 Full ROI →
65 Geography and Cartography.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$138,167 $42,525 $29,320 $23,250 Full ROI →
66 Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$150,445 $41,793 $29,320 $21,500 Full ROI →
67 International Relations and National Security Studies.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$152,045 $41,578 $29,320 $19,500 Full ROI →
68 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$159,420 $41,648 $29,320 $26,000 Full ROI →
69 Health and Physical Education/Fitness.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$162,110 $41,311 $29,320 $23,000 Full ROI →
70 Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$163,132 $41,243 $29,320 $22,750 Full ROI →
71 Biology, General.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$184,578 $40,212 $29,320 $23,362 Full ROI →
72 Sociology.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$191,147 $39,774 $29,320 $21,739 Full ROI →
73 Education, General.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$192,000 $38,264 $29,320 $0 Full ROI →
74 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$193,667 $39,716 $29,320 $22,746 Full ROI →
75 Special Education and Teaching.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$194,313 $39,964 $29,320 $26,899 Full ROI →
76 Film/Video and Photographic Arts.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$195,655 $39,600 $29,320 $22,500 Full ROI →
77 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$199,727 $39,312 $29,320 $21,250 Full ROI →
78 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$204,847 $39,191 $29,320 $23,250 Full ROI →
79 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$205,947 $39,136 $29,320 $23,250 Full ROI →
80 History.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$225,965 $38,017 $29,320 $21,500 Full ROI →
81 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$238,559 $37,288 $29,320 $20,029 Full ROI →
82 English Language and Literature, General.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$244,565 $37,222 $29,320 $23,500 Full ROI →
83 Psychology, General.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$244,915 $37,113 $29,320 $22,145 Full ROI →
84 Neurobiology and Neurosciences.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$254,786 $36,629 $29,320 $22,286 Full ROI →
85 Animal Sciences.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$261,316 $36,371 $29,320 $23,301 Full ROI →
86 Natural Resources Management and Policy.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$265,530 $36,410 $29,320 $27,000 Full ROI →
87 Dance.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$269,200 $36,159 $29,320 $26,000 Full ROI →
88 Social Work.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$289,929 $35,188 $29,320 $26,970 Full ROI →
89 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$290,493 $35,056 $29,320 $25,432 Full ROI →
90 East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$308,615 $33,952 $29,320 $22,500 Full ROI →
91 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$331,187 $33,009 $29,320 $25,250 Full ROI →
92 Zoology/Animal Biology.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$340,400 $32,518 $29,320 $24,800 Full ROI →
93 Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$341,995 $32,253 $29,320 $22,056 Full ROI →
94 Educational Administration and Supervision.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$347,530 $32,040 $29,320 $23,000 Full ROI →
95 Music.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$364,610 $31,456 $29,320 $27,000 Full ROI →
96 Anthropology.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$368,385 $30,986 $29,320 $22,834 Full ROI →
97 Fine and Studio Arts.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$383,686 $30,492 $29,320 $26,849 Full ROI →
98 Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services.

Grad rate: 87.9%

-$432,729 $27,584 $29,320 $20,096 Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.