The 25 most valuable college majors

graduation ceremony
Seven of the top 10 spots are held by various engineering concentrations. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
    • The most valuable college majors have a high likelihood of post-graduation employment and a decent salary.
    • Bankrate recently took a look at the most valuable college majors — the top 10 were all in STEM fields.
    • Naval architecture and marine engineering took the top spot.
    • Across all 162 college majors surveyed for the study, the median income was $55,000 and the unemployment rate was 2.8%.
    • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
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The cost of college is higher than ever, making it important to pick a major that will be valuable in the long run, with a high likelihood of post-graduation employment and a decent expected salary.

Financial education company Bankrate recently determined the most valuable college majors based on the most recent data from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Using weighted data, the August 2019 study determined the employment and unemployment rates and incomes for graduates for their first year out of college across 162 majors. (Each of the majors included in the study employed at least 15,000 people.) It also considered the number of college graduates who held an advanced degree.

The 10 most valuable majors were all in STEM fields, with engineering concentrations dominating seven of those spots. The median income for all degree holders observed in the study, across all 162 majors, was $55,000, and the average unemployment rate was 2.8%.

Below, see the college majors that have proven to be the most valuable to students post-graduation.

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25. Health and Medical Preparatory Programs

health service manager medical
sturti/Getty Images

Median income: $74,000

Unemployment rate: 1.7%

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24. Mathematics and Computer Science

computer science professor
Shawn/Flickr/CC 2.0 attribution

Median income: $99,000

Unemployment rate: 4.5%

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23. Finance

financial advisor
Getty Images / Hero Images

Median income: $75,000

Unemployment rate: 2.9%

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22. Miscellaneous Engineering Technologies

Engineer assembling robotics in factory with tablet.
Engineer assembling robotics in factory with tablet. Getty Images/ Hero Images

Median income: $70,000

Unemployment rate: 2.1%

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21. Chemical Engineering

chemical engineering energy plastic waste China
Ecotech Recycling Social Enterprise Managing Director Ming Cheung poses with fuel oil converted from plastic waste in front of his "Plastic Waste-to-Fuel System" at a plant in Hong Kong's rural New Territories August 24, 2011. The system is designed to provide a practical and cost effective solution to plastic waste management with energy regeneration. This prototype machine can process three tonnes of plastic waste into 1,000 litres of fuel oil per day. With further refinement, the fuel oil is suitable for diesel engine usage, said Cheung. Picture taken August 24, 2011. REUTERS/Bobby Yip Bobby Yip/REUTERS

Median income: $88,000

Unemployment rate: 3.0%

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20. Civil Engineering

Civil Engineer Engineering US Army Students
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/flickr

Median income: $80,000

Unemployment rate: 2.7%

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19. Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

meteorologist
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Median income: $70,100

Unemployment rate: 0.6%

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18. Computer Science

Computer Science Coding Student
Miguel Chateloin uses a computer to write code that would allow people living in Cuba to use email to post to blogs during the Hackathon for Cuba event on February 1, 2014 in Miami, Florida. The hackathon brought together experts and programmers to devise innovative technology solutions aimed at strengthening communications and information access in Cuba. The event is organized by Roots of Hope with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Median income: $87,000

Unemployment rate: 3.1%

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17. Management Information Systems and Statistics

software developer
Hero Images/Getty Images

Median income: $80,000

Unemployment rate: 2.9%

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16. Mechanical Engineering

mechanical engineer
Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Median income: $88,000

Unemployment rate: 3.0%

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T15. Transportation Sciences and Technologies

transportation manager
wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock

Median income: $72,000

Unemployment rate: 2.2%

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T15. Construction Services

construction
Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York/flickr

Median income: $70,000

Unemployment rate: 1.9%

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13. Applied Mathematics

mathematician
University of the Fraser Valley/flickr

Median income: $78,200

Unemployment rate: 1.8%

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12. General Engineering

hardware engineer
Beck Diefenbach/Reuters

Median income: $80,000

Unemployment rate: 2.4%

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11. Engineering and Industrial Management

Industrial engineering
Worldsteel/Getty

Median income: $72,600

Unemployment rate: 1.3%

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10. Materials Science

materials engineer
UC Davis College of Engineering/Flickr

Median income: $90,000

Unemployment rate: 2.0%

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9. Electrical Engineering Technology

electrical engineer
Goran Bogicevic/Shutterstock

Median income: $76,000

Unemployment rate: 1.8%

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8. Computer Engineering

computer engineer
PR Image Factory/Shutterstock

Median income:  $92,000

Unemployment rate: 2.8%

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7. Aerospace Engineering

aerospace engineering
Associated Press

Median income:  $90,000

Unemployment rate: 2.3%

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6. Architectural Engineering

architectural engineer
YP_photographer/Shutterstock

Median income: $74,000

Unemployment rate: 1.5%

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5. Electrical Engineering

Electrical Power Engineering
Moof/Getty Images

Median income: $99,000

Unemployment rate: 2.7%

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4. Genetics

geneticist
Solis Images/Shutterstock

Median income: $85,000

Unemployment rate: 1.2%

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3. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration

pharmacist
Milos Bicanski/Getty Images

Median income: $100,000

Unemployment rate: 2.2%

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2. Nuclear Engineering

nuclear power
Idaho National Laboratory/flickr

Median income: $98,100

Unemployment rate: 1.8%

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1. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

marine engineer
Phil Walter/Getty Images

Median income: $90,000

Unemployment rate: 1.6%

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