Best Bachelor's Degree Programs at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign by ROI
Every Bachelor's Degree major at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
66
Majors with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
+$152,377
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$32,134
Cost of attendance
| # | Major | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Computer Science.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$1,372,829 | $118,452 | $32,134 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
Computer Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$1,068,709 | $103,246 | $32,134 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
Engineering Physics.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$815,400 | $90,556 | $32,134 | $20,136 | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Engineering Mechanics.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$812,524 | $89,053 | $32,134 | $0 | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Chemical Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$746,896 | $87,314 | $32,134 | $22,850 | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Finance and Financial Management Services.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$698,279 | $84,657 | $32,134 | $19,500 | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Industrial Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$683,478 | $84,108 | $32,134 | $22,330 | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$679,530 | $84,020 | $32,134 | $23,951 | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Nuclear Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$666,041 | $83,170 | $32,134 | $21,350 | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Management Information Systems and Services.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$635,159 | $81,501 | $32,134 | $19,500 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$612,784 | $80,524 | $32,134 | $21,600 | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Mechanical Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$587,349 | $79,178 | $32,134 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Engineering, General.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$581,144 | $77,484 | $32,134 | $0 | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Biomedical/Medical Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$555,756 | $77,352 | $32,134 | $16,850 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
Materials Engineering
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$523,957 | $75,834 | $32,134 | $17,916 | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$483,234 | $74,006 | $32,134 | $21,000 | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Business Administration, Management and Operations.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$438,777 | $71,660 | $32,134 | $19,175 | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
Civil Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$429,921 | $71,209 | $32,134 | $19,054 | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Accounting and Related Services.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$420,069 | $70,814 | $32,134 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
Marketing.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$391,144 | $69,334 | $32,134 | $20,000 | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
Agricultural Engineering.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$371,741 | $68,455 | $32,134 | $21,350 | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Statistics.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$322,302 | $65,851 | $32,134 | $19,394 | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
Economics.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$267,786 | $63,249 | $32,134 | $21,228 | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Agricultural Business and Management.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$252,864 | $62,420 | $32,134 | $20,000 | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
Special Education and Teaching.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$232,435 | $61,326 | $32,134 | $18,925 | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$186,624 | $57,758 | $32,134 | $0 | Full ROI → |
| 27 |
Mathematics.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$138,820 | $56,775 | $32,134 | $20,847 | Full ROI → |
| 28 |
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$123,956 | $56,194 | $32,134 | $23,250 | Full ROI → |
| 29 |
Chemistry.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$106,239 | $55,190 | $32,134 | $21,500 | Full ROI → |
| 30 |
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$102,784 | $55,072 | $32,134 | $22,311 | Full ROI → |
| 31 |
Architecture.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$80,024 | $52,428 | $32,134 | $0 | Full ROI → |
| 32 |
Food Science and Technology.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$78,014 | $53,610 | $32,134 | $19,000 | Full ROI → |
| 33 |
Social Work.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$71,549 | $53,310 | $32,134 | $19,344 | Full ROI → |
| 34 |
Political Science and Government.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$68,510 | $53,204 | $32,134 | $20,025 | Full ROI → |
| 35 |
Communication and Media Studies.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$35,499 | $51,518 | $32,134 | $19,500 | Full ROI → |
| 36 |
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$22,096 | $50,957 | $32,134 | $21,117 | Full ROI → |
| 37 |
Public Health.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
+$7,008 | $50,173 | $32,134 | $20,678 | Full ROI → |
| 38 |
Geography and Cartography.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$1,466 | $50,041 | $32,134 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 39 |
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$5,363 | $49,599 | $32,134 | $21,339 | Full ROI → |
| 40 |
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$54,776 | $47,011 | $32,134 | $19,600 | Full ROI → |
| 41 |
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$68,149 | $46,602 | $32,134 | $23,447 | Full ROI → |
| 42 |
Plant Sciences.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$70,898 | $45,945 | $32,134 | $15,750 | Full ROI → |
| 43 |
Design and Applied Arts.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$72,148 | $46,091 | $32,134 | $18,839 | Full ROI → |
| 44 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$101,541 | $44,801 | $32,134 | $21,500 | Full ROI → |
| 45 |
Physics.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$105,911 | $44,515 | $32,134 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 46 |
English Language and Literature, General.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$116,593 | $44,012 | $32,134 | $20,961 | Full ROI → |
| 47 |
Psychology, General.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$131,616 | $41,846 | $32,134 | $0 | Full ROI → |
| 48 |
Philosophy.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$135,008 | $42,942 | $32,134 | $18,750 | Full ROI → |
| 49 |
Journalism.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$142,521 | $42,806 | $32,134 | $22,300 | Full ROI → |
| 50 |
Health and Physical Education/Fitness.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$163,099 | $41,718 | $32,134 | $21,425 | Full ROI → |
| 51 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$163,741 | $41,556 | $32,134 | $19,500 | Full ROI → |
| 52 |
Area Studies.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$164,003 | $41,715 | $32,134 | $22,050 | Full ROI → |
| 53 |
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$176,506 | $41,073 | $32,134 | $21,800 | Full ROI → |
| 54 |
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$183,343 | $40,829 | $32,134 | $23,250 | Full ROI → |
| 55 |
Systems Science and Theory.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$187,526 | $40,441 | $32,134 | $20,600 | Full ROI → |
| 56 |
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$202,976 | $39,763 | $32,134 | $22,000 | Full ROI → |
| 57 |
History.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$211,946 | $39,112 | $32,134 | $19,000 | Full ROI → |
| 58 |
Sociology.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$239,153 | $37,897 | $32,134 | $21,154 | Full ROI → |
| 59 |
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$250,918 | $37,322 | $32,134 | $21,350 | Full ROI → |
| 60 |
Natural Resources Conservation and Research.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$258,206 | $36,934 | $32,134 | $21,000 | Full ROI → |
| 61 |
Animal Sciences.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$314,513 | $34,041 | $32,134 | $19,850 | Full ROI → |
| 62 |
Anthropology.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$336,363 | $33,070 | $32,134 | $21,650 | Full ROI → |
| 63 |
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$404,123 | $29,790 | $32,134 | $23,250 | Full ROI → |
| 64 |
Fine and Studio Arts.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$430,106 | $28,363 | $32,134 | $21,356 | Full ROI → |
| 65 |
Music.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$436,819 | $28,248 | $32,134 | $24,625 | Full ROI → |
| 66 |
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.
Grad rate: 84.8% |
-$484,971 | $25,562 | $32,134 | $20,500 | 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.