Appalachian State University campus

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ASU Salaries

  • 5/10 Overall Rating
  • 4 Year
  • Boone, NC
  • 4.3 10 reviews
#8 Best Public Universities in North Carolina
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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at Appalachian State University

This page shows median first-year earnings for ASU 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 $31,900 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $41,600. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

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

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Computer Science, with median first-year earnings of $58,800 , followed by Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing at $55,600 , and Management Information Systems and Services at $52,300 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degree), with median first-year earnings of $59,500 , followed by Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) at $55,700 , and Public Administration (Master's Degree) at $52,000 .

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

Median first-year earnings for Appalachian State University graduates ranked by degree type and major
Major Earnings
Educational Administration and Supervision (First Professional Degree) $59,500
Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) $58,800
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) $55,700
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) $55,600
Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $52,300
Public Administration (Master's Degree) $52,000
Construction Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $50,900
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) $50,400
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Master's Degree) $50,100
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $49,300
Insurance (Bachelor’s Degree) $49,300
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) $48,100
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degree) $46,600
Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degree) $44,800
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) $42,100
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) $41,300
Social Work (Master's Degree) $41,300
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,900
Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) $40,000
Library Science and Administration (Master's Degree) $39,900
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degree) $38,400
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) $38,400
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) $37,400
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,800
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,600
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,500
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) $36,300
Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,700
Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,300
Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor’s Degree) $35,200
International Business (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,600
Geography and Cartography (Bachelor’s Degree) $34,500
Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,200
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $33,100
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,800
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $31,000
Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $29,000
Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $27,400
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,900
Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,800
Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) $26,700
Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,900
Public Health (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,900
Geography and Cartography (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) $25,700
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,400
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $25,000
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) $24,000
Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,900
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $23,400
International/Global Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,900
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) $22,100
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,700
History (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,600
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,500
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management (Bachelor’s Degree) $21,300
English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,300
Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) $20,200
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) $15,800
Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) $15,600
Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) $15,200
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) $15,000

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering Appalachian State University often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=197869.

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

Last updated: August 2026