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Northwestern Salaries

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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at Northwestern University

This page shows median first-year earnings for Northwestern 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 $70,400 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $89,800. 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 $88,500 , followed by Computer Engineering at $80,600 , and Industrial Engineering at $76,400 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings of $181,600 , followed by Law (First Professional Degree) at $171,900 , and Business/Commerce (Master's Degree) at $155,400 .

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

Median first-year earnings for Northwestern University graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $181,600
Law (First Professional Degree) $171,900
Business/Commerce (Master's Degree) $155,400
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degree) $149,000
Engineering, Other (Master's Degree) $131,900
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degree) $107,700
Medical Illustration and Informatics (Master's Degree) $105,500
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degree) $102,400
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degree) $98,400
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (First Professional Degree) $96,400
Chemistry (Doctoral Degree) $89,400
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $88,500
Science Technologies/Technicians, Other (Master's Degree) $86,400
Computer Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $80,600
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other (Master's Degree) $80,000
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Master's Degree) $79,900
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $76,400
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $75,700
Communication and Media Studies (Master's Degree) $74,300
Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $71,000
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) $69,800
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $69,200
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $66,100
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $64,200
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Post-baccalaureate Certificate) $63,700
Public Administration (Master's Degree) $63,200
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences (Doctoral Degree) $59,600
Public Health (Master's Degree) $59,600
Community Organization and Advocacy (Bachelor’s Degree) $58,000
Medicine (First Professional Degree) $57,700
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) $55,300
Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education (Master's Degree) $53,700
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) $53,400
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) $48,700
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $47,000
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $46,000
Music (Doctoral Degree) $43,700
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $42,600
Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) $42,000
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degree) $40,800
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degree) $39,800
Journalism (Master's Degree) $39,200
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,100
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degree) $37,000
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,000
Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,100
Psychology, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,300
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,700
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $30,500
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,100
Music (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,400
Music (Master's Degree) $21,900
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,600

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering Northwestern University often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=147767.

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

Last updated: August 2026