ROI Major

US Census Bureau PSEO Data

Know the Real ROI Before You Enroll

Actual earnings at 1, 5, and 10 years for 4,000+ college + major combos — adjusted for cost of living so you see real purchasing power, not just a number.

Census-grade earnings data Cost-of-living adjusted Break-even calculator

What is ROI Major?

ROI Major helps students compare the financial return of any college degree — browse programs across 950+ universities, filter by major, and see real earnings data so you can make a smarter investment in your education.

Highest-Earning Programs

5-year median · Bachelor's

Petroleum Engineering

University of Texas at Austin

+104%

$129k

1yr

$183k

5yr

$264k

10yr

Petroleum Engineering

Texas A&M University

+115%

$121k

1yr

$180k

5yr

$259k

10yr

Computer Science

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

+67%

$122k

1yr

$177k

5yr

$204k

10yr

Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration

Oregon State University

+25%

$137k

1yr

$171k

5yr

$171k

10yr

Petroleum Engineering

Texas Tech University

+101%

$121k

1yr

$167k

5yr

$244k

10yr

Computer and Information Sciences, General

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

$109k

1yr

$164k

5yr

—

10yr

Browse by Field of Study

Jump straight to the best programs in your area of interest.

Agriculture, Agriculture Operations and Related Sciences Architecture and Related Services Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services CIP Family 34 CIP Family 36 Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs Communications Technologies Computer and Information Sciences Construction Trades Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services

How It Works

Three steps to a data-backed enrollment decision.

1

Pick a Program

Search by college name, major, or field of study. We have 4,000+ program combinations covering universities across the US.

2

See Real Earnings

Get 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year median salaries straight from US Census PSEO data — not self-reported surveys or school marketing.

3

Understand Purchasing Power

We adjust for local cost of living so a $60k salary in Iowa and $60k in NYC show up as the very different numbers they really are.

What Makes This Different

Purchasing Power Adjusted

A $60k salary in Iowa goes much further than in NYC. We convert all salaries into a national equivalent so comparisons are fair.

Break-Even Calculator

See exactly how many years until your degree pays off versus entering the workforce straight from high school.

Census-Grade Data

Earnings come directly from the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset — the gold standard.

Compare Two Programs Side by Side

Find your programs using search above, then click "Compare" on any degree page to see a full earnings and purchasing-power breakdown.

Start a Search →