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Computer science students at Carnegie Mellon University, U.S. Photo courtesy of the university |
Computer science grads earn a median early-career salary of $80,000 and typically leave college with $23,184 in student debt, according to a May 4 ranking by financial site Investopedia, which used the latest median wage data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and student debt estimates from the Education Data Initiative.
That means their debt equals about 29% of their annual salary, the lowest among all majors ranked. A lower percentage means graduates can usually repay student loans more quickly because they owe less compared with what they earn in a year.
Economics and chemical engineering ranked second and third for the fastest student loan repayment. Economics graduates earn a median early-career salary of $70,000 and usually borrow $21,537 in student loans.
Chemical engineering graduates typically earn $80,000 and leave school with $24,785 in student debt. At the other end of the ranking, theology and religion had the weakest payoff.
Graduates in that field earn a median salary of $42,000 while carrying median student debt of $38,722, meaning debt accounts for 92.2% of annual earnings and makes repayment far more difficult.
About 6.6 million student loan borrowers are behind on payments, and the problem is worsening, with borrowers over 50 now showing the highest serious delinquency rates of any age group, according to Investopedia.
Here are the top 10 college degrees that help graduates pay off student loans the fastest, based on salary and debt levels.
|
Rank |
Bachelor's degree type |
Median wage (early career) |
Median student debt |
Debt as % of annual salary |
|
1 |
Computer Science |
$80,000 |
$23,184 |
29.0% |
|
2 |
Economics |
$70,000 |
$21,537 |
30.8% |
|
3 |
Chemical Engineering |
$80,000 |
$24,785 |
31.0% |
|
4 |
Computer Engineering |
$80,000 |
$25,016 |
31.3% |
|
5 |
General Business |
$60,000 |
$19,549 |
32.6% |
|
6 |
Industrial Engineering |
$76,000 |
$25,133 |
33.1% |
|
7 |
Physics |
$70,000 |
$23,684 |
33.8% |
|
8 |
Finance |
$70,000 |
$23,714 |
33.9% |
|
9 |
Mechanical Engineering |
$75,000 |
$25,495 |
34.0% |
|
10 |
International Affairs |
$60,000 |
$20,700 |
34.5% |
A separate 2026 Winter Salary Survey released in February by the National Association of Colleges and Employers also ranked computer science among the most in-demand bachelor’s degrees in the U.S.
The survey found that 60% of employers planned to hire computer science graduates, making it the third most sought-after major. Graduates in the field were also projected to earn the highest starting salary for the class of 2026, at about $81,535, the report shows.
