University of Kansas campus

credit : Kansas Poetry (Patrick) | license

KU Salaries

  • 7/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Lawrence, KS
  • 3.5 6 reviews
#1 Best Value in Kansas
Overview Admission Cost Majors Diversity Outcomes Salaries Location Compare Reviews Admission Calculator

Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at University of Kansas

This page shows median first-year earnings for KU 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 $43,500 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $54,600. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

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

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Mechanical Engineering, with median first-year earnings of $63,500 , followed by Computer and Information Sciences at $62,900 , and Civil Engineering at $62,700 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degree), with median first-year earnings of $168,900 , followed by Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degree) at $118,700 , and Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $73,700 .

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

Median first-year earnings for University of Kansas graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degree) $168,900
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degree) $118,700
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $73,700
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) $70,600
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $63,500
Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $62,900
Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $62,700
Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $61,000
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) $59,700
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) $57,500
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degree) $54,400
Medicine (First Professional Degree) $54,000
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) $53,800
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $53,000
Law (First Professional Degree) $52,100
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $52,100
Architecture (Master's Degree) $51,900
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) $51,600
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $49,200
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) $47,400
Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degree) $45,100
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $44,700
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $44,700
Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) $43,900
Social Work (Master's Degree) $43,200
Business/Commerce (Bachelor’s Degree) $41,100
Public Administration (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,200
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degree) $39,400
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $39,400
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,800
Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,400
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $37,200
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,800
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,300
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,500
Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,000
Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) $32,500
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,100
Behavioral Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) $28,600
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,900
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,500
Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,100
International/Global Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,200
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $18,700

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering University of Kansas often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=155317.

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

Last updated: August 2026