Best Bachelor's Degree Programs at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville by ROI

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

Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree Doctoral Degree

Programs Analyzed

53

Majors with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

-$77,580

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$32,658

Cost of attendance

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

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$658,758 $83,022 $32,658 $23,000 Full ROI →
2 Chemical Engineering.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$554,081 $77,746 $32,658 $22,375 Full ROI →
3 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$540,467 $77,015 $32,658 $21,630 Full ROI →
4 Mechanical Engineering.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$477,280 $73,965 $32,658 $23,250 Full ROI →
5 Computer Science.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$411,615 $70,243 $32,658 $16,750 Full ROI →
6 Biomedical/Medical Engineering.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$289,358 $64,498 $32,658 $22,200 Full ROI →
7 Industrial Engineering.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$282,139 $64,267 $32,658 $24,125 Full ROI →
8 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$273,849 $63,928 $32,658 $25,243 Full ROI →
9 Civil Engineering.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$269,410 $63,450 $32,658 $21,450 Full ROI →
10 Accounting and Related Services.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$236,988 $61,866 $32,658 $22,000 Full ROI →
11 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$229,438 $61,691 $32,658 $25,000 Full ROI →
12 Business Administration, Management and Operations.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$220,293 $60,930 $32,658 $20,500 Full ROI →
13 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$117,063 $55,957 $32,658 $23,292 Full ROI →
14 Finance and Financial Management Services.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$107,160 $55,459 $32,658 $23,250 Full ROI →
15 Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$45,878 $52,030 $32,658 $17,844 Full ROI →
16 Human Resources Management and Services.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$31,383 $51,587 $32,658 $22,018 Full ROI →
17 Business/Managerial Economics.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$23,654 $51,324 $32,658 $23,847 Full ROI →
18 Economics.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 +$22,040 $51,095 $32,658 $21,650 Full ROI →
19 Architecture.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$4,862 $50,381 $32,658 $31,000 Full ROI →
20 Marketing.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$29,877 $48,354 $32,658 $19,500 Full ROI →
21 Hospitality Administration/Management.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$61,407 $46,980 $32,658 $22,500 Full ROI →
22 Geography and Cartography.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$101,752 $45,199 $32,658 $26,000 Full ROI →
23 Soil Sciences.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$120,523 $44,068 $32,658 $23,149 Full ROI →
24 Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$132,598 $43,344 $32,658 $21,368 Full ROI →
25 Design and Applied Arts.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$135,912 $41,736 $32,658 $0 Full ROI →
26 Special Education and Teaching.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$153,632 $40,850 $32,658 $0 Full ROI →
27 Food Science and Technology.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$176,685 $41,090 $32,658 $20,632 Full ROI →
28 Mathematics.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$182,082 $41,115 $32,658 $25,000 Full ROI →
29 Communication and Media Studies.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$187,633 $40,559 $32,658 $20,875 Full ROI →
30 Nutrition Sciences.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$206,082 $39,915 $32,658 $25,000 Full ROI →
31 Agricultural Public Services.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$215,377 $39,079 $32,658 $19,500 Full ROI →
32 Sociology.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$218,489 $38,958 $32,658 $20,013 Full ROI →
33 Political Science and Government.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$219,847 $38,923 $32,658 $20,500 Full ROI →
34 Health and Physical Education/Fitness.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$228,477 $38,559 $32,658 $21,500 Full ROI →
35 Journalism.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$240,958 $38,026 $32,658 $22,849 Full ROI →
36 History.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$245,342 $37,547 $32,658 $19,000 Full ROI →
37 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$272,192 $34,922 $32,658 $0 Full ROI →
38 Philosophy.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$283,362 $36,051 $32,658 $25,000 Full ROI →
39 Social Work.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$306,124 $34,959 $32,658 $25,683 Full ROI →
40 Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$313,742 $34,667 $32,658 $27,000 Full ROI →
41 Anthropology.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$322,422 $34,233 $32,658 $27,000 Full ROI →
42 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$328,412 $33,866 $32,658 $26,000 Full ROI →
43 Psychology, General.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$331,291 $33,525 $32,658 $23,081 Full ROI →
44 Animal Sciences.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$338,617 $33,065 $32,658 $21,693 Full ROI →
45 Biology, General.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$341,663 $33,040 $32,658 $23,579 Full ROI →
46 English Language and Literature, General.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$348,008 $32,683 $32,658 $22,990 Full ROI →
47 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$351,767 $32,327 $32,658 $20,500 Full ROI →
48 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$354,938 $32,323 $32,658 $22,790 Full ROI →
49 Chemistry.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$369,477 $31,374 $32,658 $19,500 Full ROI →
50 Fine and Studio Arts.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$414,262 $29,641 $32,658 $27,000 Full ROI →
51 Music.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$418,753 $29,177 $32,658 $23,453 Full ROI →
52 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$457,632 $25,650 $32,658 $0 Full ROI →
53 Plant Sciences.

Grad rate: 73.0%

 -$488,433 $25,633 $32,658 $22,564 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.