Best Bachelor's Degree Programs at Washington State University by ROI

Every Bachelor's Degree major at Washington State University 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

52

Majors with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$57,937

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$27,176

Cost of attendance

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

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$652,633 $81,535 $27,176 $21,750 Full ROI →
2 Computer Science.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$639,764 $80,939 $27,176 $22,453 Full ROI →
3 Construction Management.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$626,236 $78,747 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
4 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$615,905 $79,650 $27,176 $21,030 Full ROI →
5 Mechanical Engineering.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$535,346 $75,620 $27,176 $21,000 Full ROI →
6 Chemical Engineering.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$518,921 $74,900 $27,176 $22,500 Full ROI →
7 Biomedical/Medical Engineering.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$513,216 $73,096 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
8 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$458,751 $71,824 $27,176 $21,500 Full ROI →
9 Civil Engineering.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$430,808 $70,491 $27,176 $22,450 Full ROI →
10 Food Science and Technology.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$366,243 $66,745 $27,176 $14,780 Full ROI →
11 Economics.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$335,140 $65,924 $27,176 $25,656 Full ROI →
12 Management Information Systems and Services.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$286,631 $63,353 $27,176 $23,500 Full ROI →
13 Finance and Financial Management Services.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$273,277 $62,433 $27,176 $19,762 Full ROI →
14 Marketing.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$230,384 $60,301 $27,176 $19,949 Full ROI →
15 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$195,676 $57,219 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
16 Accounting and Related Services.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$158,226 $57,034 $27,176 $25,000 Full ROI →
17 Business Administration, Management and Operations.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$133,228 $55,521 $27,176 $21,102 Full ROI →
18 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$124,236 $55,402 $27,176 $26,000 Full ROI →
19 Public Policy Analysis.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$98,856 $52,378 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
20 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$95,276 $52,199 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
21 Architecture.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$85,396 $51,705 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
22 Applied Mathematics.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$84,774 $52,867 $27,176 $17,675 Full ROI →
23 Hospitality Administration/Management.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$82,326 $53,239 $27,176 $25,000 Full ROI →
24 Microbiological Sciences and Immunology.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$16,308 $49,685 $27,176 $21,250 Full ROI →
25 International Business.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$946 $48,607 $27,176 $16,659 Full ROI →
26 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 +$280 $48,999 $27,176 $22,960 Full ROI →
27 Communication and Media Studies.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$4,424 $47,214 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
28 Agricultural Production Operations.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$9,627 $48,128 $27,176 $17,395 Full ROI →
29 History.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$11,924 $48,459 $27,176 $24,000 Full ROI →
30 Design and Applied Arts.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$12,566 $48,346 $27,176 $22,802 Full ROI →
31 Health and Physical Education/Fitness.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$26,368 $47,533 $27,176 $20,981 Full ROI →
32 Criminal Justice and Corrections.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$45,472 $46,618 $27,176 $21,577 Full ROI →
33 Natural Resources Conservation and Research.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$53,664 $44,752 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
34 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$82,025 $44,880 $27,176 $22,905 Full ROI →
35 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$90,344 $42,918 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
36 Social Sciences, General.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$96,386 $44,331 $27,176 $25,409 Full ROI →
37 Apparel and Textiles.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$130,709 $42,216 $27,176 $19,500 Full ROI →
38 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$133,389 $42,163 $27,176 $20,700 Full ROI →
39 Political Science and Government.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$172,771 $40,366 $27,176 $23,250 Full ROI →
40 Biological and Physical Sciences.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$191,749 $39,164 $27,176 $19,500 Full ROI →
41 Psychology, General.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$201,309 $38,821 $27,176 $21,500 Full ROI →
42 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$212,069 $38,453 $27,176 $24,019 Full ROI →
43 Sociology.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$225,535 $37,608 $27,176 $21,475 Full ROI →
44 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$242,453 $36,857 $27,176 $22,881 Full ROI →
45 English Language and Literature, General.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$264,960 $35,630 $27,176 $21,375 Full ROI →
46 Biology, General.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$266,689 $35,552 $27,176 $21,500 Full ROI →
47 Fine and Studio Arts.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$275,004 $33,685 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
48 Neurobiology and Neurosciences.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$295,577 $33,915 $27,176 $18,647 Full ROI →
49 Zoology/Animal Biology.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$305,875 $33,348 $27,176 $17,875 Full ROI →
50 Animal Sciences.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$334,909 $32,009 $27,176 $19,545 Full ROI →
51 Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$388,184 $28,026 $27,176 $0 Full ROI →
52 Anthropology.

Grad rate: 62.0%

 -$472,059 $25,081 $27,176 $18,500 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.