University of Colorado Boulder campus

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CU Boulder Salaries

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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at University of Colorado Boulder

This page shows median first-year earnings for CU Boulder graduates by major, based on federal College Scorecard data. Six years after enrolling, former students who are working and no longer in school report average earnings of $39,800 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $56,900. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

Below, majors are ranked by median first-year earnings.

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Computer Science, with median first-year earnings of $70,100 , followed by Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at $67,400 , and Computer Engineering at $67,200 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Engineering (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $107,000 , followed by Computer Science (Master's Degree) at $91,100 , and Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Doctoral Degree) at $88,200 .

First-year earnings data come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and reflect IRS-reported income for University of Colorado Boulder graduates who received federal grants or loans. Some programs are omitted for privacy.

Median first-year earnings for University of Colorado Boulder graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Engineering (Master's Degree) $107,000
Computer Science (Master's Degree) $91,100
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Doctoral Degree) $88,200
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degree) $86,500
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $72,400
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $70,100
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degree) $69,200
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $67,400
Computer Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $67,200
Civil Engineering (Master's Degree) $66,200
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $63,800
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $62,100
Architectural Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $61,400
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) $59,500
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $59,100
Biochemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $56,800
Law (First Professional Degree) $56,600
Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $55,600
Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education (Master's Degree) $52,700
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $49,500
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) $48,200
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) $47,300
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $46,400
Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degree) $44,300
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $42,700
Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,500
Music (Doctoral Degree) $37,600
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,100
Environmental Design (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,300
Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,200
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,900
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,300
Communication and Media Studies (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) $35,000
Political Science and Government (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) $34,900
Sociology (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) $34,700
Geography and Cartography (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,500
International/Global Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,200
Psychology (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) $33,000
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,000
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,300
Fine and Studio Arts (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) $32,300
Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degree) $30,900
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) $30,700
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,200
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,800
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,700
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,800
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,500
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,300
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,200
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,800
Astronomy and Astrophysics (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,700
Neurobiology and Neurosciences (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) $26,600
Music (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,500
Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,800
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,400
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,000
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,700
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,700
Philosophy (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,000
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Master's Degree) $21,800
Music (Master's Degree) $21,800
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $18,600

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering University of Colorado Boulder often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=126614.

First-year earnings by major: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Last updated: August 2026